Traction
by TitansRule
Summary: After one too many Mikaelson reunions, Caroline wasn't expecting to meet Alaric Saltzman in the park, much less with a fiancee and twin daughters, but she's certainly not complaining. And as Hope grows older, the surprises just keep coming. Life goes on, even when you're vampires. Sequel to Transcendent
1. Chapter 1

**This is part 3 of Born to Rule, which is the follow on series from Trials & Tribulations, so I seriously don't recommend reading this unless you've at least read Treachery and Transcendent, if not the stories before that.**

**Also, I throw canon out of the window, so you'll see bits and pieces from canon, but not how you're used to!**

* * *

_Previously, on Born to Rule:_

_Caroline turned to greet Jo's fiancé, only to freeze in her tracks, her arms automatically tightening around her daughter._

_"… Ric?"_

* * *

To be fair, Alaric seemed just as surprised to see her. "Caroline?"

Jo frowned. "Do you two already know each other?"

"Mama," Hope said, tilting her head curiously. "Wall."

"That's right, baby girl," Caroline said, her voice oddly calm. "He is on your wall."

"Caroline was Elena's best friend," Ric said hoarsely.

"Mama, wall," Hope said again, frowning. "Clouds"

"Yes, he is in the clouds, isn't he?" Caroline said, her eyes narrowed. "That's because he's like Auntie Freya, baby - Mama thought he'd gone to live with the angels and couldn't come back. Josh?"

Josh appeared at her side in a split-second, making Jo jump.

"Sorry," Caroline said. "Josh, do you mind taking Hope over to the playground please?"

"Yeah, of course," Josh said, frowning at Ric. "Do you need me to call …?"

"No," Caroline said hastily. "Everything's fine. Human heartbeat, which … shouldn't be right, but there you go. I just need to have a conversation that I don't want Hope to overhear."

"Right." Josh held his arms out. "Come on, honey."

"No," Hope said, pouting.

"Hope, you like playing with Uncle Josh," Caroline said.

Hope shook her head, still looking at Alaric - clearly she had cottoned on to the fact that the interesting bit was still to come.

"Hope, who do you think can push you higher on the swings?" Josh asked. "Me or Uncle Aiden?"

Hope's pout faltered.

"Because last time, we got you really, really high, didn't we?" Josh asked coaxingly. "Think we can beat it?"

Hope finally smiled, reaching her arms out.

"Atta girl," Josh said, taking her.

"We run please?" Hope asked.

"Only because you said please," Josh said, disappearing with her.

Caroline heaved a sigh and turned back to Alaric and his … fiancee. "Jo, I'm so sorry I wasn't completely honest with you just now."

"I'm a witch," Jo said, gentling rocking the stroller. "I wasn't honest with you either. Ric's told me all about Mystic Falls."

"Everything?" Caroline asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Everything," Ric confirmed. "I learned my lesson with Jenna."

"Jenna would have happened even if she knew everything," Caroline said gently. "But that's not the point. How are you not dead?"

"I don't know," Ric admitted. "February before last, I woke up in a storage unit, human. Stumbled out and ran straight into Jo - she knew what I was, that I'd somehow come back from the dead, and invited me to stay."

"Well, that was … brave of you," Caroline said.

Jo laughed. "Honestly, I'd had my own problems. We helped each other deal with those things and then … then the girls happened. Best accident of my life."

Caroline relaxed, chuckling. "Fair enough. Okay, so last February … that might actually make sense. I don't suppose you had some kind of turn last December, did you?"

Ric frowned. "I did actually - I passed out for a few hours. How did you know?"

"Esther Mikaelson came back from the dead," Caroline answered. "It's a very long story, which I will need to tell you at some point, but I killed her February before last. We had to bring her back last December before we put her down again, but she told me that was the first time she'd properly crossed over, so to speak. My guess is when she died properly, you came back. Why you came back human though, is beyond me. But that's not what's bothering me."

"You want to know why I didn't tell any of you," Alaric said heavily, taking a seat on the bench.

"I do," Caroline agreed, sitting beside him. "Hang on, let's scooch a bit, so the fiancee you didn't tell us about can sit down as well."

Jo chuckled and sat down on Ric's other side. "In my defence, Caroline, I have been telling him to call."

"She has," Ric said. "Honestly, the first thing I did, after convincing her I wasn't going to hurt her, was borrow her phone and call Elena, but the line was dead and I … I remembered."

"Remembered?" Caroline asked.

"I don't remember most of it," Ric said. "I know that I was forced to transition, although I don't remember actually being a vampire."

"Not surprised," Caroline said. "You won't be happy to know that it was Evil Ric that woke up."

Ric closed his eyes, his head falling back. "I thought I'd fixed that. I thought I was making him go away."

"You haven't had any episodes since you woke up?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing," Jo answered for him. "If he had, I would have noticed."

Caroline patted Alaric's arm. "So you remembered that you'd been a vampire?"

"And that Elena was the kill-switch," Ric whispered. "I knew that … I knew that for me to die, Elena must be dead as well, which explained why her phone was dead. I couldn't bring myself to come home, Caroline. I couldn't face Jeremy, or Damon, or any of you for that matter, knowing that it was my fault she was gone. Why did I get to come back, with everything I'd done, everyone I'd hurt, when Elena had barely had a chance to live?"

Jo rested her head on his shoulder. "It took me two weeks to figure out who Elena actually was - he just kept telling me his daughter was dead and it was his fault."

"What do you go with now?" Caroline asked. "Ex-girlfriend's niece, ex-wife's daughter, or legal charge?"

"I still go with daughter," Jo said with a smile. "Family shouldn't be defined by biological relations."

"Well, mine isn't," Caroline agreed. "But honestly, Ric, if I didn't know that you didn't meet Isobel until college, I'd swear you were her father; you're both as bad as each other when it comes to blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault."

"How is her death not my fault?" Ric asked. "She died to kill me - is that not right?"

"It is," Caroline conceded. "But it's not your fault what happened. We could blame Matt and Jeremy, because they'd conspired to get her out of town, so they were the reason she was on Wickery Bridge. We could blame Rebekah, because she was the one that forced her and Matt off the road. We could blame Stefan, because he saved Matt over Elena because she begged him to. But we don't blame you."

"Who do you blame?" Jo asked, clinging to Ric's hand.

Caroline smiled. "Well, probably unfairly, I blame Meredith Fell."

"What …" Ric asked hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "How does Meredith fit into what you just said?"

"She doesn't really," Caroline admitted. "She had nothing to do with Elena's death. But she did give her vampire blood without telling anyone."

Jo caught on before Ric did. "You said he and Elena _are_ as bad as each other. She's a vampire, isn't she?"

"She is," Caroline said, squeezing Ric's other hand. "She's fine, Ric. She's absolutely brilliant. Look." She pulled out her phone and pulled up her photo albums, finding Elena's wedding.

She talked Ric and Jo through them, telling them about each picture. The first photo of Elena in her dress made Jo gasp and tear up a little, as though she had known her fiancee's adopted daughter her entire life, rather than just through Ric's stories.

Eventually, Caroline had to break the news. "We formed a truce with the Originals," she said, as she flicked to a picture of Elena with her bridesmaids.

"Probably a good idea," Ric said with a sigh. "Although I'm not sure what I'm more surprised by - Rebekah as a bridesmaid or Katherine as a bridesmaid."

Caroline sighed, putting her phone away. "Well, let me start from the beginning. It started when Elena turned …"

The story of the last few years took almost an hour and thankfully her audience did not interrupt (with the exception of Lizzie deciding that she wanted a snack).

Finally she fell silent, watching Hope on the swings, well out of earshot.

"So you're telling me," Ric said, "that the adorable little girl who just got bribed with going really high on the swings is Klaus Mikaelson's daughter."

Caroline laughed. "I know; hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Is he a good father?" Ric asked.

"He is actually," Caroline said. "They're all wonderful with her. It's like Katherine - once they were safe from their father, or Nik in her case, they could relax a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy. Sometimes I have to deal with five toddlers instead of just one." She grinned. "But I'm not alone. And New Orleans is so much more peaceful than it was when I arrived."

"Head's up, Caroline," Josh said. "She's getting tired."

Caroline checked her watch. "Uh oh. We're getting close to nap-time; someone's probably due a meltdown." She grabbed her notebook and scribbled down a few numbers, tearing the page out to hand it to Jo. "That's my number at the top, and the second one's Elena's new number. Make sure he calls her."

"Don't worry," Jo said. "We're going to go for a visit."

"Jo …" Ric began.

"We're going," Jo said, rising to give Caroline a hug. "I might call you for advice at some point."

"Please do," Caroline said. "When you get back, I'll give you that tour."

"Caroline," Josh called.

"And that's my cue," Caroline said, giving Ric a hug. "I'll see you both soon. Alright, Hope," she called. "Mama's coming!"

* * *

Up in Mystic Falls, the start of summer had brought in the tourist season. Mystic Falls was far from the most popular tourist destination, but it got its fair share of small-town tourists, which kept Jeremy more than busy at the Mystic Grill.

After one particularly busy shift, he arrived home to find a welcome sight - Alaric standing on the sidewalk just outside.

Checking that no one was looking, Jeremy folded his arms. "Well, you took your time! Where the hell have you been? For God's sake, Ric, you can't just take off like that. You're dead; where the hell can you even go?"

Ric faltered and Jeremy realised a bit too late that a woman with a stroller was approaching them - and he'd just been yelling at thin air.

Before he could think of a reasonable excuse, Ric spoke. "I'm sorry, Jeremy." He reached out and grasped his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Jeremy froze, Ric's hand warm and real on his shoulder. "How … What … Ric?" His voice cracked in a way that should have embarrassed him.

"I'm here, Jer. I'm real and I'm okay."

Jeremy stepped forwards, throwing his arms around his guardian, burying his face in his shoulder, shaking with suppressed tears.

Alaric's arms closed around him, comforting and familiar.

Another hand touched his shoulder, a soft female voice asking if he was okay.

"He's okay," Ric said. "Jeremy? Can we go inside?"

Jeremy pulled back, wiping at his eyes. "Depends - do you need an invitation? I kind of promised Elena that I'd keep it vampire free."

Ric smiled proudly. "Good boy. But I came back human, Jer. And Jo's a witch."

Now Jeremy focused on the woman, suddenly realising that she wasn't just a concerned passer-by, but someone that Ric knew and - by the looks of it - loved. "Ric? Something else you want to tell me?"

She held out her hand. "Josette Laughlin. It's really nice to meet you, Jeremy. I've heard a lot about you."

Jeremy shook her hand, glancing at the stroller. "Ric, if they're yours, you've got some explaining to do."

"They are and I do," Ric said. "Any chance you can call Elena?"

"Yeah, of course," Jeremy said, leading the way up the path. "Are you okay with the stroller? These houses were not built to be child-friendly."

"Clearly not," Jo said, eyeing the front door. "I'm going to suggest we just get the girls out and just carry them in. I should have driven from the hotel."

"You're not honestly staying in a hotel," Jeremy said. "Ric, you know I've got room here."

"Well, I wasn't sure you'd want me around," Rick said.

"Oh for …" Jeremy unlocked the front door and pulled it open. "Get in there; I'll call Elena and then order pizza."

"Still can't cook?" Ric asked, picking up one of the girls.

"I can just about cope," Jeremy said. "Damon taught me enough to look after myself; not sure it's particularly up to company though."

"Well, you're in luck," Ric said. "Jo likes pineapple on hers."

"That makes two of us," Jeremy said, grinning at her.

"Yeah, you're both weird," Ric grumbled, collapsing the stroller with one hand.

"Are you sure you don't need a hand?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I've got it," Ric said. "I think."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and came back out to pick the stroller up. "Weren't you the one who told me it wasn't a crime to ask for help?"

"He's embracing fatherly stoicism," Jo said tiredly.

Jeremy set the stroller down in the hallway, leaning it against the wall. "Coffee?"

"I'd love some," Jo said. "Do you happen to have any decaf?"

"You're in luck," Jeremy said. "Elena's trying to get me to switch, so I've got it coming out of my ears. How do you take it?"

"Cream and three sugars please," Jo said.

Jeremy nodded. "Ric, still take yours as undrinkable?"

"As it comes," Alaric said, rolling his eyes.

Jeremy ducked into the kitchen, dialling Elena's number. "Elena? Can you bring the others over for pizza? You won't believe who's here."

* * *

Elena clearly didn't bother driving. Within a few minutes of Jeremy's call, the door opened and closed. "Jeremy?"

Ric stood, passing Lizzie over to Jeremy. "Here, hold her, would you?"

"Er, okay," Jeremy said, a little startled.

Elena appeared in the living room door, her eyes locking with Ric's. "Oh my God …" she faltered, her breath catching. "Are you … How? When?"

"Esther died apparently," Jeremy said, pulling faces at the baby in his arms.

"That was over a year ago," Elena whispered.

"I thought you were dead," Ric said hoarsely. "I couldn't face them."

"Oh …" Elena stumbled forwards, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."

"He talks about you two like you're his kids," Jo said quietly.

"I guess we were," Jeremy said. "He and Isobel never had children, even though I think Ric wanted them. When Jenna died, he stepped up, and moved in here to look after us, even though it was really more a case of the three of us looking after each other. And you probably know by now that Ric can't cook either."

Jo laughed. "I swear he can burn water. You said you can't either; I assume Elena …?"

"No, Elena can't cook at all," Jeremy said. "Damon used to turn up and make dinner for us and stock the freezer, claiming he was bored. And that's his car."

The engine cut outside the house and Elena released Ric so he could greet Damon and Stefan.

"I'd hit you," Damon said, releasing his best friend, "but there appear to be babies in the room."

Ric smiled. "This is Jo, my fiancee."

"We're getting married in April," Jo said, with an almost shy smile. "It's so lovely to meet you all; I've heard so much about you all."

Elena broke into a smile. "I'm so glad he's found someone. I was worried he was going to mope for the rest of his life."

"Meredith," Ric reminded her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Meredith was a distraction and you know it. And who are these two?"

"Our little surprises," Jo said, getting to her feet. "Jeremy's holding Lizzie - Elizabeth Jenna."

Elena sucked in a little breath of surprise as she bent to see the baby in her brother's arms. "Please tell me he told you who Jenna was before he named her."

Jo smiled. "He did. And I named her. I know it sounds odd, but … It was grieving the people we've lost that brought us together. The people I was mourning were still alive, so … it just felt right. I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not," Elena said. "She'd be so happy for you, she really would."

"And this," Jo said, placing her second daughter in Elena's arms, "is Josie - Josette Elena."

"That was a joint effort," Ric added.

Elena blinked rapidly. "You're going to make me cry again. Hi sweetheart. I'm … Are we going with auntie or sister?"

"Sister," Jo and Ric said together.

"I'm your big sister," Elena said softly, smiling when Josie's eyes blinked open. "Hi baby girl. Jeremy, you're not the youngest anymore."

"I know," Jeremy said with a grin, reluctantly relinquishing Lizzie to Damon. "It's great, isn't it?"


	2. Chapter 2

Alaric's return filled a void that no one had realised was still empty. He and Jo stayed in Mystic Falls for a few days but ultimately retuned to New Orleans - after all, he had a job to return to and all of Mystic Falls remembered him dying.

Jo was due to start work again soon as well, in the emergency room at the local hospital, but they had been good enough to delay her start date to give her time to figure out what to do with the twins.

Caroline had not seen either of them since the fateful meeting in the park, but she wasn't particularly surprised. After all, they had formed a truce with the Mikaelsons; Alaric hadn't.

And she could hardly blame Alaric for not trusting them

One warm June morning, Caroline was taking a five minute break from her latest college assignment (and for once, she was doing the assignment, not wedding planning), when her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.

"Caroline Forbes speaking."

_"Caroline, it's Jo - I'm so sorry for calling out of the blue, but .. I don't know what to do!"_

Caroline closed her laptop. "What's happened?"

_"Nothing's happened; I just … Lizzie, please stop crying, sweetheart! I can't do this, Caroline; there's one of me and two of them and Ric's at work and I … I can't do everything!"_

"Okay, take a deep breath," Caroline said. "Do you know Rousseau's bar?"

Jo sniffled. _"Yes."_

"Take the girls there," Caroline said, "then take the first right. You'll see a huge building up ahead with M's on the ironwork. I'll meet you at the door."

Ten minutes later, Caroline opened the front door to see Jo rounding the corner of the street, two sets of lungs screaming.

"I can't," Jo said, looking thoroughly frazzled.

"It's okay," Caroline said, reaching into the crib and lifting one of the girls out. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's okay."

The baby settled in her arms and Jo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much for this."

"Not at all," Caroline said. "Why don't you come on in? You look like you need a break."

"I do," Jo admitted. "I just … Even just five minutes for a cup of coffee would be amazing."

"That, we can do," Caroline said, taking her through to the room Davina and Sophie had borrowed for spell-work.

She tapped on the door first, just in case, then let themselves in. "How are we doing, ladies?"

"Mama, mama, look!" Hope cried, running over. "Look!" She waved her hands and little streams of light sparked from her fingertips.

The baby in her arms focused on them and reached out.

"Careful, Lizzie," Jo said.

"It's okay," Caroline said. "Hope loved those when she was that age. Good job, baby girl! Are you having fun with Auntie Sophie and Auntie Davina?"

Hope nodded, her little curls bouncing. "Uh huh."

"She's doing very well," Davina said. "Caroline?"

"Oh, sorry," Caroline said. "Davina, Sophie, this is Jo. Jo, this is Davina and Sophie; we adopted them."

"I'd argue with that," Sophie said, "but it's true. Do you need a babysitter?"

"If you don't mind," Jo said, almost sagging with relief. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. Although I should warn you … they're siphoners. It's hereditary."

"Unusual," Sophie said, "but we can deal with it. Are you …?"

"No, I'm a …" Jo hesitated. "I don't like using the phrase 'normal' witch."

"You're an inherent witch," Sophie finished. "At least, that's what I was taught."

"Out of interest," Caroline said, "you've mentioned siphoners before; what exactly is the difference between a siphoner and an … inherent witch?"

"Most witches have magic inherent within them," Sophie said, "hence the name. Siphoners don't have that; they draw magic from things or places or people around them."

"Some inherent witches consider them abominations," Jo said quietly. "Because they 'steal' magic."

"Which is ridiculous," Sophie said, bending over the stroller to coo over the baby.

"They're probably the same people who consider my daughter one as well," Caroline said. "I won't pay them any attention. If you're happy for us to leave these two with Sophie and Davina for a bit …"

"Absolutely," Jo agreed readily. "That's Lizzie, in Caroline's arms, and this is Josie. They've both been fed and they've both been recently changed, so they shouldn't be any bother, except they won't _sleep_."

"Okay," Caroline said, recognising the note of exhausted hysteria from her own nights with a crying baby, "time for a break." She handed Lizzie to Davina and steered Jo out of the room and to the kitchen.

"The only reason I coped," she said, pouring Jo a cup of coffee, "is because I had a whole group of people around me. You're doing this more or less on your own. It's okay to ask for help."

"It's not that Ric isn't helping," Jo said hastily. "He's amazing. He just can't be there all day."

"Of course not," Caroline agreed. "And you've only got two hands. You need at least six to handle one child, let alone two, I think. Just take a breath and let yourself relax for a moment. Dare I ask about the wedding?"

Jo gave a slightly shrill laugh. "Don't - I haven't even started thinking about it." She took a sip of coffee. "Honestly, I would have settled for a courthouse ceremony, but Ric said I'd regret it one day."

"The fact that you used the phrase 'settled for' suggests that he was right," Caroline said. "Do you want some help?"

"Caroline, you're planning your own wedding," Jo protested.

"I know," Caroline said. "Look, if I can plan a prom, a graduation celebration and a wedding simultaneously to take place within days of each other, I can certainly manage three weddings. Well, two technically. One's been taken out of my hands."

"Whose is the other one?" Jo asked.

"Still mine," Caroline said, looking a little sheepish. "I'd always dreamed of getting married in the church in Mystic Falls, where my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents got married, but there are a lot of people here who I want to be at the wedding, and it's not really fair on them to expect them to travel all the way to Virginia. So we decided that we'd have the church wedding in Mystic Falls, and then a traditional hand-fasting here in New Orleans."

"That's a nice idea," Jo said. "So which one has been taken away?"

"Rebekah's dealing with the hand-fasting," Caroline answered. "She knows more about that sort of thing anyway. So if you're happy, leave the wedding with me."

Jo breathed another sigh of relief, the remaining tension in her body seeping out of her. "Thank you."

"Not at all," Caroline said. "I'll need your input on some things, obviously …"

"There's not much," Jo admitted. "I'd like a church wedding, we decided on April because of the weather - other than that, I don't have much of an opinion."

Caroline sat down opposite her with her own drink. "What about the guest list?"

Jo smiled sadly. "I don't have anyone. Not really."

Caroline reached across to take her hand. "You said you had an odd family history."

For a moment, it looked like Jo might change the subject. Then she heaved another sigh. "My last name isn't Laughlin. It's Parker. I changed it to hide from my parents. Twins run in my family. I'm a twin, and my younger siblings are twins as well. Growing up, my twin brother and I were best friends. We were always together … playing … laughing … having prank wars."

Caroline smiled. "Who won?"

Jo laughed. "We never agreed on that. As we got older, we started fighting more and more. We both went away to college separately, and our relationship got a bit better. I guess it was easier over the phone. Then I went home for a weekend. My parents weren't expecting me and I overheard something - they had been intentionally driving a rift between me and Kai."

Caroline frowned. "Why?"

"Because they believe in the old ways," Jo said heavily. "Our coven, the Gemini coven, are quite unique, because we are made up almost entirely of one bloodline. Most covens are made up of several families that have come together, but ours isn't. All covens have their old rituals, as I'm sure you know, living in this city. There used to be a very old ritual, known as the Merge."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Caroline said cautiously.

"It's bad."

Jo jumped and even Caroline started. "For the love of God, Kol, wear a bell or something! How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear the name of a ritual that I thought got shut down five hundred years ago," Kol said, sauntering over to retrieve a blood bag. "Was I wrong?"

"Not entirely," Jo said cautiously.

Caroline sighed. "Jo, this is Kol Mikaelson, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, for my sins. Kol, this is Jo, the soon-to-be Mrs Saltzman."

"You love me, Caroline," Kol said. "Lovely to meet you, Jo."

"So for those of us not raised with magic," Caroline said, "what's the Merge?"

"It's an ancient ritual," Kol said. "And not a very nice one. In fact, and I mean no offence, Jo, I would say it is a pretty barbaric one."

"None taken," Jo said. "I agree with you."

"Okay, well you hardly shy away from anything like that, so that worries me," Caroline said.

"It stems from the old belief that twins are actually one person split into two," Kol said, "one good and one evil. The Merge is essentially what it sounds like - it's a ritual that merges the two into one, therefore forming one functioning human. Basically, the weaker of the twins dies and is absorbed into the stronger twin, who takes on their magic as well."

"That's horrible," Caroline said, her mind turning to the two beautiful girls she had left with Sophie and Davina. "But it was stopped?"

"Most covens stopped using it about five hundred years ago," Kol answered. "They realised that the twin theory was what is scientifically known as bullshit. The only coven that kept going was the Gemini coven - I assume that's yours?"

Jo nodded. "They stopped it about a hundred years ago. But my parents honestly believe that because it's a coven ritual, it's fine. So they started driving a wedge between me and Kai in the hopes that we'd go along with it."

"Oh my God …" Caroline murmured, squeezing her hand. "What did you do?"

"I went back to college without speaking to them," Jo said. "The next day, I changed my major, changed colleges and changed my name. The ritual doesn't work once you're over 22, so as soon as we were safe, I called home to warn Luke and Olivia, our younger siblings, and I know they did something similar - changed their names and ran for it."

"How old are they now?" Caroline asked.

"They turned 25 a few months ago," Jo answered, wiping her eyes. "After we found out I was having twins, Ric and I decided to move somewhere with a lot of magic, so it would be harder for my parents to find us. New Orleans seemed a good bet."

"Unfortunately, we have experience in protecting children from their grandparents," Kol said. "If you do get any indication they're in danger, let us know. We'll do the dirty work for you."

"Thank you," Jo called after him, as he disappeared. "I think."

Caroline smiled. "It's a good thing," she said. "Just don't ever ask what he meant. Where are your brothers and sister now?"

"I don't know," Jo admitted. "I know that Kai became a doctor as well, but I don't know where any of them are."

"Would you like them at the wedding?" Caroline asked. "Or would that put the girls in danger?"

"It wouldn't put them in danger," Jo said immediately. "Mother found me - that's why I was at the storage unit when Ric woke up; I was moving my stuff out to move again, with a new name. She was furious with me, because we've all deserted the coven, in her eyes. So no, they wouldn't put the girls in danger if they knew about them. But they wouldn't come."

"Why not?" Caroline pressed.

"I left them," Jo said with a sad smile. "I left first. Part of me wants to find them, but the rest of me couldn't deal with it if they didn't want to know. So if you want to find them, be my guest but … please don't tell me." Her phone ring and she turned a little pale. "Oh dear God, I forgot to text Ric and tell him where I was going; he must be worried sick!" She answered hastily. "Hi Ric - I'm okay! No, I know - I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you."

Caroline rose to make another cup of coffee - she had a feeling that Ric was already halfway there.

"I'm only human; I needed help. Caroline offered hers."

"Tell him to ring the doorbell," Caroline said. "There's too many people here who are overprotective for him to come bursting in."

"Did you hear that?" Jo asked.

The doorbell rang.

"Take that as a yes," Caroline said, raising her voice a little. "Josh?"

"Got it!"

Alaric appeared in the kitchen doorway a few moments later. "Jo, please don't do that."

"I know, I'm sorry," Jo said, handing up the phone. "I wasn't thinking. I'm just … There's only one of me and there are two of them."

Ric's expression softened almost immediately. "Honey, you said you were okay."

"I thought I was," Jo said with a sniffle. "I had to be."

"You don't have to be," Caroline said softly, handing Alaric a coffee. "Ric, the girls are fine; my friends are looking after them. They're witches; they're currently teaching Hope."

"Thank you, Caroline," Ric said. "I don't mean to be so … paranoid."

"You're in the belly of the beast," Caroline said with a slight smile. "Ready for a reunion?"

"Not even close," Ric said with a sigh.

"Even with me?"

Ric turned with a smile. "It's always good to see you, Matt."

Matt grinned, clapping his former teacher on the back "Welcome back, Mr Saltzman. And you must be Jo."

Jo smiled. "Nice to meet you, Matt. It's nice to put another face to a name."

"Bex wants to say hello," Matt said to Ric. "If that's okay?"

"Absolutely," Jo answered for him.

"Jo …" Ric began.

"No," Jo said firmly. "I've met Kol and he more or less promised to kill to protect our daughters. If these people are going to protect them, I want to meet them."

"I'll follow on," Caroline said. "I need to make a quick phone call."

Matt led Jo and Alaric out of the kitchen and Caroline waited until they were out of earshot before she dialled.

"Katherine? I need a favour. Yeah, I need you to find some people for me."


	3. Chapter 3

If Alaric had any doubts about his daughters spending time around the Mikaelsons, he managed not to show any of those misgivings to Caroline.

Jo took to visiting a few times a week and Caroline made sure she went to visit her at least once a week as well, to give Jo a hand with some of the housework.

As winter began to creep over the French Quarter, Caroline's thoughts began to turn to the upcoming celebrations.

"Jo," she said one morning, "have you started thinking about the girls' birthday?"

"Yes and no," Jo said. "I've been shopping; I've got presents stashed away. I know that Elena and the others want to come and visit; I just don't know if I'll have the energy to throw a party. I still need to figure out what I'm doing with the twins when I go back to work next week."

Caroline sighed. "You know that we're happy to have them."

"I know," Jo said. "I'm not sure Ric would be okay with that. Not if I wasn't there as well."

"Let me speak to the coven," Caroline said. "I'll see if they know anyone. I'm guessing you'd rather not just put them into a daycare that doesn't know how to deal with witches?"

"I'd rather not," Jo agreed, "but I also don't really like the idea of a coven."

"I know," Caroline said gently. "When I say I'll speak to the coven, I mean I'll speak to Madeleine. She's one of the elders. I would trust her with my daughter's life, and that should tell you everything."

Jo gave a little sigh of relief. "Thank you. If you could, that would be wonderful."

"Not at all," Caroline said. "About their birthday …"

"Do you have an idea?" Jo asked hopefully.

"Well, I was thinking," Caroline said, "they're only ten days before Hope, and they're only little still. Why don't we just throw a birthday party for all three of them?"

* * *

The idea quickly took hold, and two days after December began with an unusually cold wind, family and friends descended upon the Mikaelson compound, for Hope's second birthday, and Josie and Lizzie's first.

All three girls were dressed up. Josie was quite content to sit on laps for cuddles and stories, while Lizzie did her best to run around after Hope as she darted from aunt to aunt, and uncle to uncle.

Every now and then Caroline would start to remind Hope that Lizzie was much younger than hers, but she never really got a chance to - whenever that seemed necessary, Hope tended to slow down herself, returning to take Lizzie's side to take her hand.

The sight made Caroline smile. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't a little concerned about Hope's ability to play with other children, given how everyone spoiled her, but she generally looked out for Josie and Lizzie the way an older sister might.

She was distracted by Hayley and Tyler's arrival, which had been delayed by a slight drama in the Mystic Falls pack.

Normally, she would be just as happy to see them, but today their arrival brought with them a duty she didn't particularly want to carry out.

Still, as she approached them, she did so with the same welcoming smile as she would have on any other day.

As soon as she'd greeted them, and Tyler had made a beeline for Matt (and a drink), Hayley turned to Caroline. "What's up?"

"You're ahead of me," Caroline said, with a weak smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"You look like you've had some bad news," Hayley said. "What's happened?"

"Nothing recent," Caroline said with a sigh. "But Aiden came to talk to me a few days ago. You remember how he recognised your birthmark?"

Hayley's expression froze. "Can we have this conversation in private?"

"Of course," Caroline said, taking her arm. "We can use my office."

Once they were safely ensconced in the sanctuary of Caroline's office, Caroline retrieved a small package from her desk. "Okay, so good news; we are 99% sure that we've found your parents."

Hayley closed her eyes. "What's the bad news?"

Caroline sat down beside her. "They're not with us anymore."

"Just say they're dead, Caroline," Hayley said, a little harsher than she probably intended.

"Okay," Caroline said softly. "They're dead. They died when you were about four. From what I understand, the Crescent clan used to have several alphas - less of an absolutely monarchy and more of a democracy. Eventually the bloodlines mixed, so when you were born, there were only two - the Dumas' and the Lebonairs."

"Which …?" Hayley's voice cracked and Caroline covered her hand with hers.

"The Lebonairs," she said. "Martin and Brooke. They named you Andrea. Do you …?"

"Tell me," Hayley said bluntly. "Just … Please tell me."

Caroline nodded. "The story I was told went as follows: Richard Dumas was one alpha, Martin Lebonair was the other. They disagreed on how to deal with the vampire issue. Richard felt that they should go to war, Martin preferred a diplomatic approach. When you were born, your mother came up with an idea that you would marry Richard's grandson, Jackson, to try and stop the infighting."

"What is this, the middle ages?!" Hayley asked, her eyes flashing.

Caroline chuckled. "From what I've heard, they would never have made either of you do anything you didn't want to do. But if they'd raised you both in that mindset …"

Hayley sighed. "Go on then. What happened?"

"Richard never settled," Caroline said. "If anything, he got worse. When you were two, your parents made the decision to send you away to keep you safe, from Richard Dumas as well as the vampires. Given your age, and that they didn't know how long you'd be gone, they made the decision to ask a witch to hide your memories, so you'd settle with a new family and wouldn't miss them. They fully intended on coming for you, Hayley."

"But they didn't," Hayley said, unshed tears choking her voice. "It was vampires, wasn't it?"

"That was how it appeared, yes," Caroline said gently. "The wolves went to war. A lot of wolves were killed, including Richard's son-in-law - Jackson's father. The fighting continued for years, until Marcel had the pack cursed, so they would be human on the full moon, and wolves the rest of the time."

"That's just …" Hayley shook her head. "That's awful. What about …?"

"Anyone who hadn't triggered the curse wasn't affected," Caroline answered. "Because they're pack - something about the bond kept them safe. But it meant that a lot of the kids were living out in the woods."

"Christ, and I thought I had it bad," Hayley muttered. "Wait - you said my parents' death _appeared _ to be vampires."

"On his death bed, Richard finally confessed," Caroline said with a sigh. "He'd killed your parents and made it look like vampires, to get the pack to support his side."

Hayley sucked in a shaky breath. "Son of a bitch."

"I know," Caroline said. "I know. His wife, Mary, was absolutely horrified when she found out. She and their daughter disowned Richard and they laid him to rest outside the bayou - that's where they put the pack traitors."

Hayley sniffled. "I guess that's all I can ask for."

"Jackson's the alpha now," Caroline said quietly. "Aiden told me the story so I could tell him as well as you."

"Why?" Hayley asked, but then her eyes cleared. "Because I wasn't raised with the mindset of marrying him, but he was raised to believe he would marry Andrea Lebonair."

"Something like that," Caroline said. "He took it really well actually. I think he'd known that Andrea was gone, but hearing it is something else. He's made his excuses today so you don't get put in that position, but he did give me a couple of things to give to you."

Hayley flinched. "Do I want to know?"

"It's not bad," Caroline assured her, handing her an envelope. "This is a letter from Jackson. He's not expecting a response, or even for you to read it, but he did ask me to give it to you."

"Thanks," Hayley said weakly. "That's kind of what I was worrying about."

"Well, the rest of it's good," Caroline said. "In this package is all that's left. Because of the circumstances, a lot of your parents' belongings got swept up in the drama."  
"Do you know what's in it?" Hayley asked.

Caroline smiled. "I had a feeling you'd ask, so I did take a peek. There's a photograph, of you and your parents. At least, I assume it's you. The child in the picture is blonde, but you're the spitting image of your mother, so it is definitely your parents. There's a box that I assume contains your parents' wedding rings and your mother's engagement ring. And there's a journal."

Hayley's breath caught, her hands hovering over the lid. "A journal?"

"I haven't read it," Caroline said. "But it looks like a baby book to me. You know, those things moms use to record their pregnancies."

Hayley swallowed, finally opening the box. The photograph was on top and she touched it gently, a sob breaking in her throat.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her and Hayley slumped in to her, burying her face in her friend's shoulder.

* * *

Downstairs, the doorbell rang.

Freya paused on her way to the kitchen, waited a second for someone else to react, then went to open the door herself.

She found a rather nervous looking woman, clutching a bag with some brightly wrapped gifts. "Um, hi? I hope I'm in the right place, I work with Jo; she invited me to her daughters' birthday party."

Freya smiled. "Yes, of course; come on in. I'm Freya, I'm Hope's aunt - that's the other birthday girl."

"Keelin," she said. "When Jo told me about the joint birthday party, I thought it was a brilliant idea. My grandmother always said it took a village to raise a child."

Freya shook her offered hand. "Well, she wasn't wrong. I'd be flattered though; I think you're the only person I've met so far that Jo's invited. Everyone else is on Alaric's side."

"She said she didn't have family," Keelin said, shrugging her jacket off. "And I've given the girls a check-up once or twice."

"Here, let me take that," Freya said, taking the bag from her. "When you said you worked with Jo, I assumed you were in the ER as well."

"Oh, I am," Keelin said, hanging her jacket up with everyone else's. "But I'm also a werewolf and I have a private research interest in the affect of the supernatural on the blood. Jo was worried about the girls seeing a doctor that wasn't aware of witches."

"That sounds …" Freya broke off, almost colliding with Tyler.

"Sorry," he said, sounding distracted. "Have you seen Hayley by any chance?"

"She went upstairs with Caroline earlier," Freya said. "I'd check her office first and foremost."

"Thanks," Tyler muttered, hurrying off in that direction.

"You're welcome," Freya called after him. "Jo's in the parlour with the girls and most of the party," she said to Keelin. "Let's go and take them these and then you can tell me more about that research project; it sounds fascinating."

* * *

The party was a great success, but it was also a perfect time for the ladies to go dress shopping, since all of the bridesmaids for both weddings were in the same place.

So the morning after, leaving the clean-up to everyone else, Caroline ushered Jo and the others out of the house and to a bridal salon on Royal Street.

"I don't think I'm going to find a dress here," Jo said with a sigh, flipping through one of the rails. "They are way out of my price bracket. And, no, Caroline - I can't accept your help on this."

"Then accept ours," Katherine said quietly. "Consider it our wedding present."

"Don't argue," Elena warned. "Damon will just put the money in Ric's account otherwise."

"If you're sure …" Jo began.

"I am," Katherine said, pulling one of the dresses off the rail. "Start with this one."

"Excellent choice," the sales assistant said, appearing practically out of nowhere. "One of our more popular styles. I believe we have two brides with us today?"

"This is the other one," Rebekah said, gesturing to Caroline. "She doesn't have a budget."

"Yes, she does," Liz said hastily. "I am happy for your family to take on the cost of the wedding, Rebekah, but I want to buy my daughter her wedding dress."

"She's going to have two ceremonies, Liz," Rebekah pointed out. "She needs two dresses."

Caroline sighed. "Do you mind taking care of Jo for the time being," she asked the assistant, "and I'll try and figure out logistics."

"Of course," the woman said with a bright smile. "If you'll step this way, ma'am, we'll pull some other dresses for you to try as well."

Caroline turned to her mother and her future sister-in-law. "Okay, let's compromise. Rebekah, I have no idea what kind of dress one wears to a hand-fasting, so you can look after that one for me, with whatever budget - or lack thereof, you see fit. And then Mom can still get me my wedding dress for the church."

"That's fair," Rebekah agreed. "Quite frankly, that ceremony might require a more unique piece, so I might need to commission one."

Caroline hesitated. "Okay, I trust you. We also need three sets of bridesmaids' dresses." She caught sight of one of the other attendants and excused herself to hurry over to her. "Hi, I'm going to need a favour.

"Yes, of course, ma'am."

Caroline passed her a slip of paper. "I'm going to need an extra bridesmaid's dress in these measurements. I'll let you know the style when I know it, but I need the utmost discretion."

The woman tucked the paper away in her clipboard. "Of course, ma'am; I'll see that gets done."

* * *

The months passed quickly.

Caroline introduced Jo and Alaric to Mardi Gras, thrilled when Jo loved the celebrations as much as she did.

In spite of the age difference, Jo was becoming as close a friend to Caroline as Elena and Bonnie were, and Caroline loved having another mother around.

And Hope loved playing with Lizzie and Josie.

April 14th dawned with the weather everyone had been praying for - blue skies, not too hot, and not a hint of a raincloud.

Jo had spent the night at the compound with the twins and the morning was a flurry of hair, make-up, and a minor breakdown.

Thankfully, the breakdown was Lizzie, and not Jo getting cold feet.

Caroline was already dressed and ready, so she took Lizzie outside and stood in the sun, bouncing a little in place to try and calm her.

"It's alright sweetheart," she murmured. "What's wrong, huh? I know it's not your pretty dress because you like that."

"Dada," Lizzie muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy's waiting at the church, honey," Caroline said. "Mommy's going to finish getting dressed, and then we're all going to the church, and Mommy and Daddy are going to get married, and then we're going to have a party."

Lizzie's eyes brightened. "Cake?"

Caroline chuckled. "You and Hope certainly have your priorities straight. Yes, Lizzie, there will be cake."

"Yay!" Lizzie bounced in her arms and Caroline laughed, pressing a kiss to her head.

"That's a good girl."

A car pulled up alongside her and the driver's window rolled down. "Caroline, I presume?"

"That'd be me," Caroline said. "Are you my wedding present?"

"I think we might be," the driver said, turning off the engine. "Alright, we're here."

"Oh, thank goodness it fits," Caroline said, when the remaining bridesmaid exited the car. "I worry when I have to work with second-hand measurements."

"No, it's perfect," she said with a smile. "Thank you. Does she know we're here?"

"As far as I know, she has no idea," Caroline said. "This is Lizzie; we had a little meltdown earlier, but now we're all excited for cake."

"Cake!" Lizzie cried.

Caroline grinned. "Come on in. Jo!" She called, leading her guests into the courtyard. "Your wedding present's here!"

"Shouldn't I wait for Ric?" She called back.

"Not this one," Caroline said. "You're going to want this one now."

"Just make sure you're decent," the driver called. "I don't need to see that."

There was a moment of silence, then Jo appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in the beautifully simple wedding dress she had finally settled on, the only adornments the beautiful beading around the neckline that set off the veil she had yet to put on.

"Oh my … Caroline?"

Caroline smiled. "You told me I could look for them."

"I cannot believe," Kai Parker said with a smile, "that you honestly thought we wouldn't want to come to your wedding."

Jo broke into one of the brightest smiles Caroline had see on her face, and she ran down the stairs straight into her twin brother's arms.

"I thought you'd be mad at me," she murmured into his neck.

"Listen to me, Josette," Kai said, suddenly stern as he pulled back from her to look her in the eye. "I am _not_ mad at you. I am mad at our parents for driving that wedge between us. I am mad at our mother for thinking that ritual is anything but an ancient tradition that needs to die and fade into the sands of time. I wish you'd come to me, instead of just disappearing, but I get why you didn't."

Jo sniffled. "Oh, god, don't make me cry - I'll ruin my make-up."

"We can fix that," Caroline said.

"If you say so," Jo said with a laugh. "Oh, Liv - you look so gorgeous. You've grown up so much. And Luke - oh God, when did you get so tall?!"

"I swear it happened in the space of like a week," Liv said. "One weekend we were the same height; next thing I know, I'm looking up at him."

"I know the feeling," Caroline grumbled, still mildly shell-shocked from the first time Jeremy opened the door and she found herself level with his shoulders instead of his eyes.

And that was years ago now.

Jo released her twin in favour of embracing her younger siblings. "Oh, I can't believe you're here! How did you even find them, Caroline?"

"I asked Katherine for a favour," Caroline said with a smile. "She still owes me one for turning me in the first place."

"It was harder than I thought," Katherine said from the top of the stairs. "You'd think there'd only be one Dr Malachai Parker in the States, wouldn't you?"

"How many are there?" Kai asked with a grin.

"Thirty-five," Katherine answered. "And you were the thirty-fourth."

"Mama!" Lizzie said. "Hugs!"

Jo laughed, finally pulling away from her sister. "Come here, baby girl. Come and meet Auntie Liv, and Uncle Kai and Uncle Luke."

"Oh, God, I assumed she was Caroline's daughter," Liv said, touching her niece's arm. "Hi sweetheart! And her sister?"

"Josie's here," Elena said, appearing beside Katherine.

Jo smiled up at her. "And this is Elena, my stepdaughter."

"Technically Ric's stepdaughter," Elena said with a smile, coming down to join them.

"I don't like the word technically," Jo said. "Honestly, I'd drop the word step as well, if I didn't have two moms to compete with."

Elena faltered for a second, then passed Josie to Luke and threw her arms around Jo. "You're the best third mom someone could ask for. Thank you."

"Okay, I'm not fixing your make-up as well, Elena," Caroline said, checking the time, "and we have to be at the church in twenty minutes."

* * *

Alaric had always had an unerring talent of rolling with the punches for the most part, so he barely batted an eyelid at the extra bridesmaid.

He didn't see surprised at Jo's unexpected escorts either (since Luke and Kai were both giving their sister away), but then that might have been because his whole focus was on the bride walking towards him with a brilliant smile.

Caroline could hear Elena sniffle a little beside her and tucked her free arm through hers, her other arm holding on to Hope's hand.

"… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Alaric swept Jo into a kiss, which was broken with a peal of laughter when Lizzie piped up: "Cake now!"

"Please," Hope added, with the same tired tone that Caroline often used, which only served to increase the laughter.

Father O'Connell chuckled as well. "Out of the mouths of babes, as they say."

Caroline hoisted Hope into her arms, kissing her daughter's cheeks. "The idea of you teaching Lizzie manners is a little hilarious, baby girl."

Hope smiled brightly. "Love you, mama."

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "Flatterer."


	4. Chapter 4

Just over a month after Jo and Alaric's wedding, Caroline was nervous, absently twisting her wedding ring around her finger.

One week earlier, she had been back in Mystic Falls, getting married in the same church her ancestors had married in. She had worn a princess-style dress that had come straight out of her dreams, her mother had walked her down the aisle with tears in her eyes, and the whole town it seemed turned out to witness her wedding.

Today, however, she was back in New Orleans for the hand-fasting ceremony - and she had no idea what was going to happen, since she had had no input whatsoever, except for a brief overview with Madeleine, who would be conducting the ceremony as one of the elders of the coven, and a quiet conversation with Kol the night before.

"Okay," Rebekah announced, letting herself in to Caroline's room. "The girls are all ready, Nik's been banished to downstairs, so we can start getting you dressed." She finally presented Caroline with a garment bag and Caroline opened it eagerly, to find a beautifully embroidered gown, with long flowing sleeves and a long train.

"Oh Bekah … Oh, it's beautiful," Caroline murmured.

"It's not dissimilar to what you would have worn a thousand years ago," Rebekah said, helping her into the dress. "I mean, it wouldn't have been white. I don't think anyone wore white in those days. That colour only really came in with the washing machine."

"Didn't Queen Victoria wear white?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, but she didn't do her own laundry," Rebekah said. "Okay, turn around?"

Caroline spun around, unable to help glancing in the mirror. "This feels different. Like … my wedding dress was one thing; it was everything I'd ever dreamed of. This is … This is everything I never knew I wanted. Thank you so much."

"Your wedding was beautiful," Rebekah said, "but it was kind of the end of a chapter in your life. This is the beginning of the next one. This," she added, retrieving a small box from her bag, "is from Nik."

Caroline opened the box and almost laughed. "Don't you think this is taking the Queen thing a bit too far? I don't even … How do you even wear a tiara without looking like a child playing dress up?"

"Well, first of all, you don't wear your hair like that," Rebekah said. "Sit down and let me fix it."

Caroline sat down at her dressing table, watching the reflection of Rebekah fix her hair into a number of braids.

There was a tap on the door and Elena stuck her head in. "How are we doing? Oh, _Caroline_ …"

"Don't make her cry," Rebekah warned.

At Elena's exclamation, Bonnie, Katherine and Davina all came in as well. "Rebekah, that's _gorgeous,_" Katherine said.

Rebekah smiled. "Well, I might be the only woman to commission wedding dresses in eight different centuries. I've got rather good at it. You will wear the tiara, won't you?"

Caroline smiled, letting her affix the tiara properly. "If he insists. I still get a bouquet, right?"

"I already caught the one in Mystic Falls," Bonnie said. "Are you trying to drop hints? Because you know Jeremy and I …"

"I know," Caroline said hastily. "I'm just glad that you're still talking this time."

"Well, we had our time," Bonnie said, "and I'm grateful for it, but our time has passed. But today's not about us; it's about you."

"Speaking of you," Davina said, "here's your bouquet - but we'd rather you not throw this one."

Caroline opened the box and sucked in a breath. "Okay, I promise not to throw this one. It's a work of art."

"Thank you," Davina said with a smile. "That was my job."

"Well, it's beautiful," Caroline said. "Thank you, Davina."

"Right, it's time," Rebekah said. "Are you ready?"

"Ready," Caroline said, getting to her feet. "Where's Mom?"

"She's downstairs," Rebekah said softly. "She said that she'd give you away if you wanted to, but you're already married, so you should be able to give yourself away."

Caroline nodded. "Right. Fair point."

"Also, we're doing this the British way," Rebekah said. "You're going first. A queen does not follow. She leads."

Caroline nodded, leading the way out of her room and to the staircase.

The courtyard was packed with people, either side of a make-shift aisle, at the end of which her husband waited with Elijah and their daughter.

Davina caught Josh's eyes and nodded and he started the music up. With a deep breath, Caroline made her way downstairs, smiling as Klaus focussed on her.

"Mama!" Hope called, waving at her.

Caroline's smile grew and, as she reached them, she crouched down to kiss her daughter. "Can you hold Mommy's flowers for me?"

Hope nodded seriously, taking the bouquet from her. It was almost as big as her and Caroline giggled, rising to take Klaus's hand.

Madeleine began the ceremony, wrapping a soft rope around their joined hands as she talked.

To her knowledge, this was not usually a magical ceremony, but she and Klaus had spoken to Maddi when they went through the ritual the night before.

With every pass of the rope, they made another vow, to love and to cherish and to stick together through thick and thin.

Madeleine paused, covering their joined hands with her. "Through the magic bestowed upon me by the Leader of the Nine Covens, I am hereby authorised to join your souls as one. Do I have your consent to complete this bonding?"  
Caroline smiled. "You do." Since his first non-proposal had been to do with the soul-binding ritual, they had decided to go with it, even though the map was no longer needed.

"You do," Klaus echoed.

Maddi smiled and her hands glowed. If Klaus felt any physical reaction he didn't show it, but Caroline certainly felt it; the magic flowing through her was so strong she was surprised that she wasn't actually glowing.

Their hands were, she realised.

"Don't worry," Madeleine said, more to the congregation than to the couple in front of her. "That is perfectly normal. Someone else has already done this legally, but I'll do it anyway. I now pronounce you husband and wife in the eyes of magic as well in the eyes of the State. You may …" She broke off as Klaus kissed his bride. "Well, you never listen to me anyway."

There was a smattering of laughter and applause, and Sophie and Davina joined hands to clear the chairs back towards the walls to allow the room to now be used for the afterparty.

Caroline retrieve her flowers from Hope and scooped her daughter up, pausing for Jeremy to take a photograph - art school had given him a bug for photography as well as painting.

Jo and Alaric's wedding pictures were absolutely amazing, so she couldn't wait to see hers.

After a flurry of congratulations, and with Hope playing with Lizzie and Josie, Caroline and Klaus finally got a moment of privacy.

"Did you feel that?" Caroline asked softly.

"Did I feel what, love?" Klaus asked. "The spell? I felt a tingling sensation."

"I felt more than that," Caroline said. "It … Thank you," she added, when one of the wait staff approached with two blood-laced champagnes.

They clinked glasses and Caroline took a sip before continuing, "It felt like my whole body should have been glowing, not just my hands. What?"

He was smiling in a rather odd way, a cross between amusement and amazement. "Do that again?"

Caroline frowned. "Do … This?" She took another sip of champagne.

"Now try it again and let yourself react to the blood," Klaus said, his smile widening.

Caroline sighed, but humoured him, allowing the blood to creep into her veins.

"I thought so," Klaus murmured.

Caroline rolled her eyes, her face returning to normal. "You want to explain any time soon?"

"Your eyes, love," Klaus said. "They turned yellow, not red."

Caroline sucked in a breath, staring at him. "How? You can't magically get werewolf DNA. Can you?"

"Well, let's cross that bridge later," Klaus said, kissing her. "It looks like they're about to serve dinner."

Understandably, Caroline was a little distracted through dinner, although Rebekah had once again outdone herself.

As dessert was cleared away, Klaus leaned across to kiss her cheek. "Don't fret over what you don't understand, love. We'll figure it out later."

Caroline smiled. "Easy for you to say. But you're right." She rose to her feet, tapping her spoon against her glass. "Thank you so much for being here, everyone. And, Rebekah, thank you so much for organising all of this, and Davina, and Sophie. The three of you have done amazingly - it is everything I could have asked for. Now, this is the time I would usually throw the bouquet, but I did say I wouldn't throw this one. However tradition is tradition so can all of my unmarried guests come front and centre please?"

"How are you going to do that without throwing it?" Sophie asked, obediently moving to the middle of the floor.

"Like this," Caroline said. She reviewed the crowd in front of her, then walked forwards and handed her flowers to Davina.

Davina gave her a puzzled look. "What … What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything," Caroline said. "But you might want to turn to your right."

Davina did as she was told, freezing in place when she realised that Kol was on one knee beside her. "Oh God …"

"First of all," Kol said, "my new sister-in-law is one of the loveliest people I have ever met for letting me do this. And, no, me saying that was not a condition of letting me steal her thunder on her second wedding day."

Davina choked out a laugh, letting him take her left hand. "Darling, you know that I love you. When I first met you, you were scared, and you were shaken. And I knew you were special straight away. And then a few days later, I watched you make dead flowers bloom again, and you smiled, and that smile I swear went straight to my soul. You are my angel, the love of my life, and I want nothing more than to be your husband. Will you marry me?"

* * *

"I cannot believe you let Kol propose at our wedding," Klaus said.

Caroline chuckled. "He asked. I'm just glad she said yes. Otherwise that would have been very awkward." She was gazing at her reflection, halfway through removing her make-up. "And it was our second wedding, so I think we could spare him ten minutes. Are you sure about my eyes?"

Klaus appeared behind her in the mirror, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Positive. You can see that for yourself."

Caroline swallowed hard and allowed her true face to come forward once more, He was right - her eyes now had an amber glow to them, reminiscent of a hybrid rather than a vampire. "What does it mean?"

"I have no idea, love," Klaus murmured. "My best guess is that when our souls joined, you took on my hybrid abilities."

"How do we know for sure?" Caroline asked nervously.

"Well, you could try transforming," Klaus suggested.

Caroline laughed a little hysterically. "I don't think so. I've seen those transformations; they're excruciating to start with. And if I did, it wouldn't be in a house full of people when I don't know what would happen." Her eyes brightened. "What about the venom?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"

Caroline reached back to tug his face into the crook of her neck. "Bite me. Just don't give me the cure straight away; we'll wait and see what happens. Hybrids are immune to the venom, right?"

"Caroline …" Klaus began.

"Please?" Caroline said. "I need to know, Nik."

"Very well," Klaus murmured, pressing a kiss to her skin. "Tell me if the pain kicks in." His teeth sunk into her throat and she let out an involuntary moan, pressing back against him.

He chuckled against her. "Patience, love. If we're testing this, we need to do it properly. No distractions."

"What do you suggest while we wait then?" Caroline asked. "Play checkers? It can take up for a few hours for the symptoms to start."

"Well, if I thought you could keep your fangs to yourself," Klaus said with a smirk, "it wouldn't be a problem. Not much of a test if you take the cure yourself."

"What if I promise?" Caroline asked innocently, turning away from the mirror. "Believe me, Nik, if the symptoms kick in, my father will be appearing in the room to me, so I am _not_ about to ignore it. You'll know if that happens."

* * *

Down the hall, Davina was admiring the new ring that now adorned her left hand. The initial plan had been for her and Kol to have Hope for the night to give her parents a night off, but given the turn of events, Rebekah had taken her instead.

Lips pressed against her cheek and she smiled. "I love you."

"I love you," Kol echoed, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Are you mad I did it in public?"

Davina laughed. "A little. But it was perfect." She turned in his arms, tilting her head back to kiss him. "I will be so happy the day I can call myself your wife. But …"

Kol froze. "But?"

Davina smiled sadly. "I don't know how long I can promise you."

"Oh, that," Kol said, pulling a face.

"Yes, 'that'," Davina said. "My forever and your forever are two different things. And unlike Matt, I have something stopping me from …"

"I know," Kol said firmly. "Davina, I know what it's like for a witch to lose their magic. It feels like a piece of your soul has been ripped out. I don't think any witch could survive that unchanged. And the light you have, Davina - it should never be snuffed out. So I would never, _ever _ask that of you. If you chose to do that, I would support you completely, of course I would. But I would never ask it of you. I will love you for every second of every day of every year that you allow me to spend with you."

* * *

"Is she asleep?"

"Like a light," Rebekah whispered, smiling fondly at the little girl in her arms. "I guess I should put her down for the night."

Matt smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "Do you want to?"

Rebekah sighed. "Not really. But I've heard enough lectures about keeping to a routine." She carried Hope down the hall to the nursery, grateful the the adjoining door to her brother's room was closed, and that she could smell sage.

Hope stirred a little as she was set in the crib, but the day's events had exhausted her, so she didn't wake.

Rebekah pressed a kiss to her head, tucking the blankets around her. "Goodnight sweetheart."

Matt had hardly moved when she returned to their room. "You want a child."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "That surprises you?" Her tiredness made it come out more caustic than she intended. "Sorry - that …"

"No, it's okay," Matt said. "I did know you wanted children. I just … I guess I figured that it was something you'd come to terms with over the years."

"I had," Rebekah said, slipping her shoes off. "And then Hope was born. Does it matter though? We can't have children and you don't want them anyway."

Matt sighed. "I said it wasn't a deal-breaker. I never really wanted kids; I think because I looked at my father, what little I remember of him, and figured I was predestined to not be a good dad."

"I think Nik proves that's not the case," Rebekah said.

"Vikki and I always swore we wouldn't repeat our parents' mistakes," Matt said quietly. "And then Vikki made every single misstep my mom made. The drinking. The disappearing. The drugs. And Mom always said that she wouldn't repeat her mom's mistakes. And she did. It was like a vicious circle. And if Vikki inherited that from our mom, then why shouldn't I inherit my dad's flaws?"

"Your dad," Rebekah repeated. "The guy who walked out on your family for no reason you know of, other than 'it was too hard'. You - the guy who moved to a war-zone to stay by my side and died in an effort to protect your niece - think you have _anything _in common with that? That's not a dad, Matt - that's a sperm donor. For whatever it's worth, I think you would be an amazing dad."

Matt smiled, dipping his head to kiss his wife. "You have more faith in me than I ever have, Bekah. I know we can't have a child, but … have you ever thought about adoption?"

Rebekah hesitated. "I hadn't actually. We always had Father to worry about, but … Matt, would we really want to bring an orphan into this world?"

"A human?" Matt asked. "No, probably not. But I'm thinking of people like Hayley. She was kicked out when she triggered the curse and, okay she found a pack, but she was more or less on her own. Think how much easier her life would have been with family who understood who and what she was."

"I hadn't considered that," Rebekah murmured. "You think we could do that?"

"I think you're a wonderful mom, Rebekah," Matt said. "I think it's something we should consider."

* * *

"How long has it been?" Caroline murmured into the darkness.

Klaus stroked her hair, gazing at the ceiling. "Three hours, love. How do you feel?"

Caroline stretched against him lazily. "Not even a flicker. No hallucinations, no pain. Nothing. It would have kicked in by now, right?"

"With hybrid venom, certainly," Klaus said. "When we go out to the plantation house, we can see if the transformation works, if you like."

"Not happening," Caroline murmured. "I'll leave the bone-breaking work to you."


	5. Chapter 5

Ultimately, of course, Caroline's curiosity got the better of her. Two days after the ceremony, she dragged her husband out to the plantation house.

"How do I even do this?" She asked once they were there.

"Well, if I were you, I'd start by taking your clothes off," Kaus said helpfully. "That's a lovely dress; I wouldn't want you to ruin it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. "When have you _ever_ worried about ruining my clothes?"

Klaus smirked at her. "Well, it's up to you, love. Do you have a change of clothes with you?"

"No," Caroline muttered, pulling her dress over her head. "Now what?" She asked, once she was standing naked before him.

"Now imagine the wolf inside you," Klaus said. "Call her forth and allow her to take over."

It sounded ridiculous. How was she supposed to reach the wolf inside her when she'd never even had one?

Unsurprisingly, nothing happened.

"Maybe all I got was immunity to the venom," she suggested after thirty minutes. "It does seem ridiculous that I inherited a physical curse through a soul-binding."

"It does," Klaus agreed. "Then again, I've known magic to do stranger things. And I'm hardly complaining about the view."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're impossible." She closed her eyes, trying to find her 'inner wolf' (which sounded like some kind of strange narrative from a bad romance novel).

"Think about the day you killed Esther," Klaus suggested quietly. "About how you felt when Hope was screaming."

The vampire rose within her at the memory - but it wasn't just the vampire. Pain shot through her limbs and she screamed, collapsing to her knees as every part of her body seemed to twist unnaturally.

"Breathe through it, love," Klaus said, his mouth close to her ear. "Just breathe. It will get easier."

And then, all of a sudden, the pain stopped.

She opened her eyes, still on the ground. He was stood before her, but he looked different - the colour was off, as was her hearing.

"Quite remarkable," he commented. "Try to change back. Hope's perfectly safe, love. Come back to me."

Caroline closed her eyes once more. The journey back was far less painful, as though her bones found it easier to return to how they should be.

"How," she asked tiredly, "do you stay on your feet after that?"

"Practice," Klaus said, helping her to her feet. "How was it?"

"Horrible," Caroline said with a grimace. "Remind me again why you wanted to be able to do that?"

Klaus chuckled. "Well, it looks like you have inherited all of the abilities of a true hybrid, love."

"Lucky me," Caroline muttered. "I'm not doing that again."

"If Hope ever triggers the curse, we can both run with her," Klaus pointed out.

"I don't want Hope to trigger the curse," Caroline said. "Not because of the pain, but because I don't want her to be in a position where she kills someone. But you're right, I guess. _If _that happens, I'll make an exception. Now we need to get back to the Quarter."

Klaus caught her arm before she could retrieve her dress. "We're not expected back for another few hours, love. And it would be a shame to waste your current predicament."

* * *

Diplomacy in New Orleans was a delicate business. Thankfully, most of the relationships between the vampires, witches and werewolves were much better than they had been in years, but the situation was a delicate one, so regular meetings were held to ensure that everyone was happy.

June's meeting did not get off to a great start - Caroline was late, which she _never_ was.

When she did arrive, she looked very frazzled.

"This is your fault," she told Klaus as soon as she walked in.

Klaus sighed. "Please excuse us," he said to their guests. "Caroline, what have I done?"

"Hope is having a meltdown," Caroline informed him. "I told you saying yes to whatever she wanted would have consequences when we had to say no."

"Then don't say no," Klaus said with a shrug. "Hope can have whatever she wants, Caroline; you know that. You know where the chequebook is. What does she want?"

"A sister," Caroline said flatly.

Klaus hesitated. "Okay, she can't have that."

"Josie and Lizzie both have a sister," Caroline said tiredly, taking the empty seat beside him. "She doesn't and it's not fair. She's stopped screaming but she's not happy."

"I'll go," Davina offered, getting to her feet. "You don't really need me here, and it's the least I can do, since you're planning my wedding for me."

"How many is that now?" Thierry asked with a grin. "At this rate, you should just start a wedding planning business and be done with it."

"I'm considering it," Caroline said with a wry smile. "Thank you, Davina. If you can calm her down, that would be amazing."

Davina made her way up to the nursery. Hope's crib had been swapped to a child's bed, and she was face down in her pillow, sobbing.

Davina's heart ached for her, and she could only imagine how Caroline had felt having to leave her daughter in that state. She sat down at the end of Hope's bed and rubbed her back. "You okay, baby girl?"

"Mommy's mean," Hope mumbled.

"Why is she mean?" Davina asked.

"Want a sister."

Davina sighed. "Okay, come here." She lifted Hope on to her lap. "Hope, your Daddy is very good at making things happen. So your mommy and daddy can give you an awful lot of things that a lot of little girls can't have. But they can't give you a sister."

Hope sniffled. "Why?"

Davina grimaced, trying to figure out how best to explain it. She could go with the stork story, she supposed, but she had an aversion to lying to children if she could help it. "Well, to have a baby, Mommy and Daddy would need special ingredients, and because Mommy's a vampire and Daddy's a hybrid, they don't have those ingredients anymore."

"Uncle Kol a vampire too," Hope said.

Davina smiled sadly. "That's right, so he doesn't have those ingredients either - that's why Auntie Davina can't have a baby."

Hope patted her face. "Sad?"

Davina chuckled, pressing a kiss to her head. "Sometimes. But I've got you and you're just like having my own daughter. Your grandma was a very, very powerful witch and she did a spell on your Mommy so she could have you. But we don't know what spell she used, so we can't do it. And that makes Mommy sad sometimes as well, because I think she would love you to have a sister or a brother. So I'm sorry you're sad, sweetheart. But you have Josie and Lizzie, don't you? I'm sure they wouldn't mind being your sisters, would they?"

Hope sniffed. "Yeah."

"Let's see that smile," Davina said.

Hope hid her face, shaking her head, but Davina could tell she was recovering from her earlier sadness, so she poked her tummy gently.

"Let's see a smile," she said with a smile.

"No," Hope said, not quite managing to hide her smile.

"Well, you know what happens to little girls who won't let their aunties cheer them up," Davina said. "They meet the _tickle monster!"_

Hope shrieked with laughter, squirming away from her. "Auntie Vina!"

Davina grinned, stilling her fingers. "Feel better?"

Hope nodded, flinging her arms around her neck. "Love you Auntie Vina - you be a good mama."

Davina felt a lump form in her throat and she pressed a kiss to her niece's forehead. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love you so much. Now can you go and apologise to Mommy please?"

Hope nodded, slipping down from her lap and running out of the room.

Davina followed at a leisurely pace, not concerned in the slightest at Hope dealing with the stairs on her own, even if she was only two-and-a-half.

Firstly, Hope never tried to walk down the stairs, even if someone was at her side; she preferred sitting down and bumping down the stairs instead.

Secondly, within a few steps, James had appeared at her side to help her; and someone always did, no matter what.

Caroline once joked that she could let Hope wander the streets of the French Quarter by herself and she wouldn't get so much as a paper cut, because people were guaranteed to be looking out for her.

Once she got to the bottom of the stairs, Hope jumped to her feet, hugged James around the knees and dashed off the the meeting room.

"Knock first," Davina called after her.

Giving Hope any kind of instruction tended to be about fifty percent effective - you were never quite sure if she was going to listen, unless you were her father.

Davina had the feeling that was because Klaus was so lenient with her that when he was firm with her, she paid attention.

This time, however, Hope did as she was told, slowing to tap on the door before pushing it open.

Caroline was on her feet in a second. "Hope, are you okay, sweetheart?"

Hope nodded, lifting her arms. "Mama, hug please?"

Caroline glanced at Davina who had arrived behind her, but lifted her daughter and gave her a big hug.

"Sorry Mommy," Hope said, kissing her cheek. "Auntie Vina said you sad too."

"Did she?" Caroline asked, more to Davina.

Davina shrugged, aware of the curious eyes on her. "I explained in a very child-friendly way that she _can't_ have a sister and that it probably upsets you as well, so it wasn't fair to be mad at you."

Hope nodded. "Sorry Mommy."

Caroline kissed her forehead. "Thank you, sweetheart. It was very kind of you to come and apologise; it was a very big-girl thing to do. Can you go and play with Auntie Davina while Mommy and Daddy have our meeting?"

Seeing Hope's lower lip wobble again, Davina hastily jumped in. "Hey, Hope - you want to bake cookies?"

"Cookies!" Hope cried, throwing her hands in the air.

Davina took her from her mother. "Works like a charm."

* * *

A few weeks later, Davina was not feeling quite so happy about cookies. In fact, she was concerned that something edible in the house had been out of date.

Once the latest bout of heaving finished, she felt a cool hand against her forehead.

"I don't think you've got a fever, darling," Kol murmured. "Then again I run cold."

"Well, that feels amazing," Davina muttered, "so maybe I do."

"Maybe you should go to the doctor," he said.

"It's probably food poisoning," Davina said. "Or a stomach bug. I am still susceptible to both of those things, even if you're not."

"Please humour me," Kol said. "If it's something more serious … We can cover the cost if that's what you're concerned about."

Davina sighed. "Tell you what; if I can get away from the toilet long enough to make an appointment, I'll go."

"Fair enough," Kol agreed, pulling her hair back out of her face as she started again.

Three hours later, Davina sat in a doctor's waiting room with a plastic bowl. The receptionist had taken one look at her face and produced it from under her desk.

"Miss Claire?"

Davina got to her feet, paused to swallow down another wave of nausea, and made her way shakily to the exam room.

"Oh dear," the doctor said with a sympathetic smile. "You really don't look too good."

"Well, I'm not here for fun," Davina said automatically. "Sorry - my fiance's a bad influence."

The doctor chuckled. "No, that's fine. I normally greet my patients with an automatic 'how are you' and I can never figure out why - they're here for a reason. Now, I'm Dr Carter - how can I help?"

"I'm fairly sure it's just a stomach bug or something," Davina said. "But I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything more serious."

Dr Carter nodded, fetching her stethoscope. "So I guess from the bowl that nausea is a big symptom. Is there anything else?"

"Not really," Davina answered. "I'm getting a bit of dizziness, but I think that's from the vomiting."

"And when did the nausea start?" Dr Carter asked, listening to her chest.

"Mostly today," Davina said. "I did throw up yesterday, which I put down to something I ate, but it's so much worse today."

"And has there been anything else recently?" Dr Carter asked.

"I've been very tired," Davina answered. "Other than that, no."

"You said you have a fiancé?" Dr Carter asked. "Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

Davina smiled sadly. "No. My fiancé had an … accident when he was younger. He can't have children."

"You'd be surprised how many people are told that and go on to conceive," Dr Carter said.

"Not in this case," Davina muttered.

"Okay, well, your chest sounds fine so nothing's in your lungs," Dr Carter concluded. "You don't have a fever, so I don't _think_ it's a stomach bug; it normally goes together. So I think our best bet is to take some blood tests and then I'll give you some pills that should alleviate the nausea a little."

Davina breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. You're going to test for pregnancy anyway, aren't you?"

"Occam's Razor," Dr Carter said cheerfully. "The simplest solution is most likely the right one."

"Even if my fiancé has no ability to conceive whatsoever?" Davina asked.

"Even then," Dr Carter said, readying the needle. "Miracles happen. In any case, in order to get some of the other tests authorised I have to prove I've covered all the more obvious bases."

"Fair enough," Davina said with a sigh, rolling up her sleeve. "As long as I don't have to watch. My own blood makes me queasy as it is."

* * *

Like Jo, Davina's guest list was seriously diminished by the fact that everyone on the bride's side was also on the groom's side.

"I do not want my mother to come to my wedding," Davina said flatly. "I doubt she even wants to come anyway."

"I wasn't going to ask about your mother," Caroline said. "I was going to ask about Cassie and her mother."

"Oh," Davina said quietly. "Yes, please."

Caroline smiled, adding them to the guest list. "I'm sorry, Davina. I know that Elena had a few moments in the lead-up to her wedding when she wished her mom could have been there, but Aunt Miranda was dead. I don't even know how to deal with this situation."

Davina smiled sadly. "You don't need to. You've done everything, Caroline. You've been everything I thought a sister would be."

Caroline gave her a hug. "It's a joy, Davina, I promise. How are you feeling now by the way? Kol said you were really bad for a few days, or was he being over-dramatic?"

Davina chuckled. "No, it was really bad. I couldn't move without throwing up. The doctor took some blood tests, but I feel fine now, so I'm fairly sure it was just a stomach bug. I should be getting the results …" Her phone rang.

"Okay, that's creepy," Caroline joked. "I'm going to pop along to check on Hope if you want to take the call in here?"

"Thanks, Caroline," Davina said, answering the call. "Hello?"

_"Miss Claire, it's Dr Carter here. How are you?"_

"Much better thank you," Davina said. "It's like I was never sick in the first place."

_"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. I've got your test results back; are you happy for me to deliver them over the phone?"_

Davina relaxed. They weren't bad then - if they were, she would be insisting that she come in for an appointment. "Yes, that's fine. Just a stomach bug, right?"

Dr Carter's smile was evident over the phone. _"Actually, Miss Claire, you've had that miracle I was talking about. You're pregnant."_


	6. Chapter 6

**I got some interesting theories in the comments after the last chapter! I will say this - because Hope was not created through a 'loophole' in this series, I'm not planning on Caroline being able to have another child because she now has hybrid abilities.**

**Also, I suppose I should warn that this chapter and the next one discuss certain issues surrounding pregnancy that might be triggering to some readers, so please just be aware of that.**

* * *

It was like deja vu.

Except rather than Caroline sat behind her desk trying digest the impossible, it was Davina, her cell-phone clutched to her ear.

Caroline found her like that a few minutes later, Dr Carter still trying to get her attention. "Davina?"

"I … I …"

Caroline gently prised the phone out of her hand. "Hello, this is Caroline - I'm Davina's sister-in-law - well, I will be at least. She seems to be in shock. I realise you can't tell me anything, but if you can please tell me if there's anything she needs to do?"

_"Well a second appointment wouldn't go amiss,"_ the doctor answered.

"Okay, when's the best time," Caroline said, grabbing her diary. She noted down the date and time, and thanked the doctor before hanging up. "Davina? Davina, honey, are you okay?"

Davina blinked and finally focused on her face, before murmuring a spell that Caroline recognised as a silencing spell. "I'm pregnant."

Caroline blinked. "How? How in God's name …?"

"I think it was Hope," Davina said in a rush. "I know it sounds mad, but … when I was talking to her about sisters, she gave me a hug and told me I'd be a good mom."

"You would," Caroline said quietly. "But … Are you okay?"

Davina took a shaky breath. "I have no idea. I hadn't … I hadn't let myself think about it. But … this could be my only chance."

"Don't made a decision based on that," Caroline warned. "That's not a good reason."

"I know," Davina said. "But Freya's been looking into what Esther did and the chances of her being able to recreate it is almost nil."

"Then how did Hope manage it?" Caroline asked.

Davina shrugged. "Remember what I said about wish magic? Most kids her age don't have the power to do a lot of magic, but conversely they also don't have the constriction that adults do - they don't realise that they can't do something. It's kind of like how a lot of toddlers can do forward rolls, and then they realise that it could hurt them and a lot of them stop being able to do it, because there's a mental block."

"I hadn't thought of that," Caroline admitted. "So Freya can't recreate the spell, but Hope could do it instinctively because she doesn't realise she shouldn't be able to?"

"Exactly," Davina said, rubbing her eyes. "I just feel awful because … I've had a miracle and I don't know how to deal with it. You had a miracle and you immediately went into mom-mode."

"Davina, it's not the same," Caroline said immediately. "I grew up in a small town where it was kind of expected that you would get married and have kids. Even if you weren't going to be a stay-at-home mom, which most of the moms were, you were expected to have kids. I had thought about it from a young age and I had always wanted children. You grew up in a big city where things are different. You yourself said that you never considered kids when you were younger and then you met Kol so you didn't let yourself because it wasn't a possibility. Our reactions to a surprise pregnancy were never going to be the same."

"I guess," Davina muttered.

Caroline hesitated. "Also … that wasn't my only reaction."

Davina looked up. "It wasn't?"

Caroline shook her head. "Once it sunk in … Part of me was angry. Hope's a child. But Esther wasn't. And okay, maybe she knew I wanted children, but she didn't consult me. She just … did it. And yeah, part of me resented the fact that Esther saw me as nothing more than a walking womb, and resented the fact that, yes, I was having a child, but I had absolutely no say in the matter."

Davina stood on shaky legs. "I guess I have some thinking to do."

"I guess so," Caroline said. "You have an appointment in a few weeks time, which suggests that the doctor doesn't think you're more than a few weeks along, which would fit with your guess."

Davina nodded a little absently. "As long as the nausea doesn't come back. I can't deal with that again, Caroline."

"At least if we know it's morning sickness, Sophie can do something for it," Caroline pointed out.

"Don't know why they call it morning sickness," Davina muttered. "Twenty-four hour sickness more like it." She sat down beside Caroline on the couch, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "We'd need to move the wedding date," she said after a few minutes. "I'd rather not let out my dress around a baby bump."

"Of course," Caroline said cautiously.

"And Rebekah would be devastated," Davina continued. "I mean, she'd be happy, but we both know how much she wants this. And even if Hope could repeat it … there's no way her body would deal with it. She'd probably miscarry and that would break her."

"It would," Caroline agreed.

Davina was quiet a little while longer. "Kol would be a wonderful father."

* * *

Three weeks later, Davina sat on her bed, staring at the picture in her hand. It was fuzzy and unclear, and when she had seen Caroline's she hadn't understood how anyone could look at a little blob that small and see a baby.

But she could.

Any minute now, Kol would be home. He couldn't always stick to the blood bags, and Davina understood that; she just didn't want the details.

Originally, they had a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy - but when he came home covered in blood, she didn't really need to ask.

It was a running joke that the baby wipes in her bag were for Kol, not for Hope.

So when he walked in with blood stains on his face, she only sighed. "Really?"

"Seriously?" Kol asked, ducking into the bathroom. "I cleaned up."

"Well, you didn't clean up very well," Davina said, with a weak but no less affectionate smile.

Kol reappeared a second later, clean but clearly worried. "What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Davina asked.

"I can hear it in your voice," Kol said. "And your heart's racing."

Davina took a deep breath. "Okay, you know that I love you."

"Of course I do," Kol said cautiously.

Davina stood up, her eyes fixed on his. "I love you so much. And I would never, _ever_ do anything to hurt you."

Kol seemed to relax a little. "Darling, I know that. What are you worried about?"

Davina hesitated a second longer and handed him the photo in her hand.

Kol glanced down at it and froze. "Is this …?"

"I think it was Hope," Davina said. "When she was upset about not getting a sister. She managed to make the connection that we couldn't have a baby. She said I'd be a good mom. And I'm about five weeks along, so that matches up."

"We're having a baby?" Kol said blankly.

Davina swallowed hard. "Apparently."

"Are you okay?" Kol asked.

"Are you?" Davina asked. "I've had three weeks to get my head round this and I'm still freaking out."

"You didn't need to do that by yourself," Kol said, cupping her face.

"I did," Davina said. "Because I had no idea how I felt and … Honestly, I wasn't sure I was going to go through with it until I saw that picture."

"And now?" Kol asked.

"I'm still not sure about being a mother," Davina said, her hands folding over her stomach, "but this is our baby. And they're not going anywhere."

Kol broke into a smile. "You know I can hear their heartbeat."

"I wish I could," Davina said. "I've got another appointment in two weeks. You're coming to that one."

"Yes, dear." Kol pulled her close, kissing her. "I love you so much, Davina. You and our baby."

* * *

Pregnancy was strange.

Caroline had had such an easy time of it that Davina couldn't help envying her with every bout of morning sickness.

On saying that, she realised at times of clarity that she would hopefully have a far easier labour than Caroline, so she supposed it all evened out.

It wasn't any easier now the baby was starting to move - she thought. In any case she kept feeling a fluttering movement that would make her dart for the bathroom, only for nothing to happen.

Caroline assured her that it was movement, but it was hard to tell the difference between that and nausea.

She was starting to get a little bit of a bump as well.

"Auntie Vina!"

Davina was dawn from her musings when Hope came running into the living room. "Hi sweetheart. Did you have fun visiting Lizzie and Josie?"

"Uh huh," Hope said. "Is the baby here?"

Davina shared a laugh with Caroline. "No, sweetheart. She's still in Auntie Davina's tummy. You want to feel?"

Hope nodded eagerly and scrambled up on to the couch beside her. "Please!"

Davina lifted up her shirt a little. "You see that little bump? That's where the baby is, keeping nice and warm until it's time to come out. When they're a bit bigger, they'll start moving and you'll be able to feel them."

"When they come and play?" Hope asked.

"Well, we have to wait for a bit," Davina said. "We have to wait for Mommy's birthday, and then Auntie Bekah's birthday, and then your birthday, and then Christmas, and then Uncle Kol's birthday, and _then_ the baby can come. They have finish growing first."

"Okay," Hope said, patting her stomach gently. "Hi baby."

Davina smiled, then grimaced as another wave of nausea swept over her. "Oh for …"

"Hope, baby, go and play please," Caroline said hastily. "I don't think Auntie Davina's feeling very well."

"Kay," Hope said, hopping down and running off in the direction of the play room.

"Let me get you some water," Caroline said. "Are you going to vomit?"

"I don't think so," Davina said faintly. "I just feel a bit … I don't even know."

Caroline pressed a hand against Davina's forehead. "You're burning up actually. You might actually have a fever. Here, lie down; I'll get you a drink and an ice-pack."

By the time Kol got back from his trip to the bayou with Klaus, Davina was not feeling any better.

In fact, she was getting worse.

"It's a bad bout today," he commented.

"Understatement," Davina mumbled.

Kol pressed a kiss to her forehead and froze. "Caroline, how long as she been this hot?"

"A few hours," Caroline said. "She's getting hotter; I've tried ice packs and cold drinks; I've given her pregnancy safe medication. Nothing seems to be working. When Sophie gets home …"

"Call her," Kol said sharply. "Or Freya, if she's closer. This feels like a spell."

When Sophie got the call, she raced home from work.

Kol hovered beside his fiancée while Sophie muttered diagnostic spells under her breath. Finally she shook her head, looking grim. "I don't like this."

"What's wrong with her?!" Kol demanded.

Klaus placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "What can we do, Sophie?"

"Davina did anything happen this morning that you remember?" Sophie asked.

"Nothing that might cause this," Davina said tiredly. "I mean, I think I got a bug bite, but that wouldn't cause this. Would it?"

"Where?" Sophie asked.

Davina gestured to her neck and Sophie checked, finding a small mark. She performed one last spell and then got to her feet, gesturing Kol and Klaus out of the room.

"We need to keep her calm," she said grimly. "I don't know how, but someone's used the Needle of Sorrows on her."

"And that is …" Klaus prompted.

"It's a dark object," Sophie said. "We started using them to get around the Marcel issue. This one is a particularly nasty one that is designed to raise a mother's body temperature in order to kill a child in utero."


	7. Chapter 7

"It does what?" Kol asked, his voice icy.

"How?" Klaus asked instead. "How did anyone get close enough to do that?"

"They wouldn't need to," Sophie said. "All they'd need is to bind Davina to someone else and inject them and it would affect her. All they'd need is Davina's blood, and they could use her mother's blood in place of that."

"Clearly we've gone soft, brother," Kol said. "Let's go."

"Kol, don't," Sophie said urgently.

"Someone is trying to kill my child," Kol said. "You really want me to sit and watch?!"

Sophie took a step towards him. "You know better than I do that killing the person responsible won't break the binding spell, and if you kill the wrong witch, you'll kill Davina."

"Then what can I do?!" Kol asked desperately.

"Get her to the plantation house," Sophie said. "It's got a pool and that will help."  
"What will help?" Freya asked, stepping through the front door. "Is Davina …?"

"Needle of Sorrows," Sophie said bluntly. "Can you go with them?"

Freya's eyes widened. "Yes, of course. Kol, get Davina to the car; I need to grab some things and I'll be out in a second.

"Got it." Kol returned to Davina's side and lifted her into his arms.

"The baby's in danger," Davina whispered. "I can feel it."

"It's alright, darling," Kol said soothingly. "We're going out to the plantation house to help get you better. Freya's coming with us."

Freya met them at the car. "I'm driving," she said firmly. "It's no good if you kill us on the way."

Kol bit back his argument and nodded, getting into the back seat with Davina. "Okay, just get us there quickly."

* * *

Maddi met Sophie at the gate of the cemetery. "Got your text; what … Why are they here?"

"We're her back-up," Klaus said with a dark smile.

"And you?" Maddi asked Elijah.

"Well, that depends on what happens next," Elijah said. "I may be here to restrain my brother, or to help him."

"Let them in," Sophie said flatly. "Whatever they do will be totally justified."

"Don't make me regret this," Maddi sighed. "Sophie …"

"Someone has used a binding spell and the Needle of Sorrows," Sophie said flatly. "I need to find out who so I can break the spell before we lose the baby, let alone Davina."

Maddi's eyes widened and she made a little choking noise. "Oh God … Come in - anything you need, I'm at your disposal."

"Thank you Madeleine," Klaus said in a clipped tone, striding after Sophie. "I realise the agreement is that you deal with your own, but I hope you'll appreciate that this is not a usual situation."

"Absolutely not," Maddi agreed. "Helping Esther was one thing; this …"

They emerge into the central courtyard and the coven immediately reacted automatically, jumping to their feet.

"Sit!" Maddi barked. "Someone's been linked to Davina and stuck with the Needle of Sorrows."

"Holy Mother of God," someone whispered.

"Obviously, the Mikaelsons are taking this as a personal slight," Maddi said. "And I do not blame them in the slightest. So does anyone want to tell me something now, before I step aside?"

Before anyone could protest, there was movement and Monique took a shaky step forwards. "I don't know anything about the Needle of Sorrows," she said hastily, before Sophie could say anything. "But I do remember feeling a sharp pain this morning, and I've had a slight fever all day. Could someone have bound me to Davina without me knowing?"

"It's possible," Sophie said cautiously when Klaus and Elijah looked to her. "Although whether someone would have managed to inject you without you noticing, I don't know."

Klaus took a step towards Monique, and Sophie grabbed his arm. "Please …"

"Relax," Klaus said. "I'm not going to hurt her." When he addressed Monique, his voice was gentle. "Monique, would you please allow me to see your memory of this morning to see if I can see something you didn't?"

Monique nodded. "Anything to help. What do I need to do?"

Klaus held out his hand. "Take my hand and close your eyes."

Monique did as she was told and Sophie watched nervously as Klaus entered her niece's mind.

She could tell the moment he saw something in the way his body stiffened.

When they both opened their eyes, Monique flinched at the barely concealed rage in his eyes, but he gave her a smile (albeit a cold one) and squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Monique; that was very helpful. Sophie, start breaking that spell."

He turned to the gathered witches, his attention falling on one in particular. "Your own grandchild, Joanna?"

A few of the other witches grabbed Joanna before she could run.

"That is not my grandchild," Joanna shouted. "It is another abomination! And you have stolen my daughter!"

"She is not just your daughter," Elijah said coldly, seizing his brother's arm. "She is our sister. And if you haven't lost your daughter already; you certainly will after this."

* * *

"Kol, I'm burning up," Davina said shakily.

"Get her into the pool," Freya said urgently, bent over a small bowl with some herbs. "We need to try and slow her heartbeat. Hold her in the water."

Kol nodded, jumping into the water fully clothed, before helping Davina in as well. "It's alright, darling; it's going to be alright. Sophie will get you unlinked."

"Here." Freya waded in as well with the bowl of herbs. "Drink this."

Davina took the bowl, drinking down the mixture. "Will it help?"

"It will help slow your heartbeat," Freya said.

"Come here, darling," Kol murmured, supporting Davina in the water. "Just focus on my voice. Breathe slowly."

Davina cried out in pain and Kol hushed her. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's okay. It's going to be okay."

"Kol, it hurts," Davina sobbed. "I'm scared - I don't want to lose our baby."

"Davina, I'm not letting that happen," Freya said softly. "I nearly had a child once."

"You did?" Kol asked, momentarily distracted.

"I ran away and got married," Freya said. "Dahlia murdered him to punish me. That was when I realised I would never escape her and I killed myself. I woke up, but my son …"

"Oh, Freya," Davina murmured, still trying to slow her breathing.

"I never forgave myself for that," Freya whispered, "but I will do everything in my power to keep this baby safe, Davina. Just keep breathing."

Held between her fiancé and her future sister-in-law, Davina certainly felt safe, but it wasn't making the cramps any better.

Then, all of a sudden, she sucked in a breath. "It's stopped."

Kol slowly let her feet touch the bottom of the pool, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You feel like you've cooled down."

Freya pressed a hand to Davina's stomach and murmured a spell. "The baby's fine. I'll call Elijah." She swam back to the edge of the pool and heaved herself out onto the deck, drying her hands before grabbing her phone. "Elijah? Yeah, she felt it. Oh, thank God … Who? Hang on."

"Sophie broke the spell?" Davina guessed, swimming towards her.

"You were linked with Monique," Freya said. "She didn't know."

Davina breathed a sigh of relief. "Who …?"

Freya hesitated a second. "It was your mother."

Davina froze, feeling Kol behind her, the same solid rock he had been since they met. "What?"

"Elijah's trying to prevent Nik from killing her as we speak," Freya said.

Davina closed her eyes. "She's dead to me as it is. Don't bother."

* * *

**For once, my anxiety is working in my favour. I have finished writing this story, and finished planning the sequel, Transgressions, which will (probably) be the end of the series. However, I am considering an extra story with 'scenes we'd like to see' - things that got missed out of the main story because they didn't fit within the narrative - or, for that matter, things that didn't happen at all that you'd like to see happen - kind of AU of AU - so if there's anything YOU'D like to see happen within this series, let me know in the comments and we'll see what happens.**


	8. Chapter 8

Davina woke the next morning with a sinking feeling. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Not yet," Kol answered.

Davina sat up, to see him standing at the window, staring out at the bayou. "I told them to go ahead."

"And I told them not to," Kol finished, turning to face her. "I knew you might feel differently in the morning."

"And if I don't?" Davina asked.

Kol smiled coldly. "Then I'll kill her myself."

Davina closed her eyes. "I shouldn't like it when you promise to kill people for me."

His lips landed on her forehead. "But you do, don't you? How did you sleep?"

"This house is like a swamp sauna," Davina grumbled. "Was it always this hot, or is it just because I'm pregnant?"

"We don't have the air conditioning on when we're not here," Kol pointed out, "and we weren't expecting to come out here. Sorry, I should have thought …"

"It's fine," Davina said. "I can feel the difference between that and the burning up yesterday."

Kol rested a hand on her stomach. "How do you feel?"

"A hundred times better," Davina answered with a weak smile. "You're right though. I do feel different this morning. Death is too quick. She'd die a martyr, and even if the ancestors shun her, she'll never see that she did wrong. I'd rather she rot in that cottage knowing that I will never, ever forgive her."

* * *

The quieter and safer New Orleans became, the more arguments started breaking out at the compound.

As Davina's pregnancy progressed, and Hope's third birthday got closer, Caroline decided that something needed to be done.

And so she, Caroline and Matt gathered around the kitchen table one Thursday afternoon, while their various significant others were out of the house.

"I feel like I should be taking minutes," Davina commented.

"I won't stop you," Caroline said, setting a plate of cookies on the table. "I'm calling this meeting to order. I'm sure we've all noticed the growing tensions."

"I'm surprised it's taken this long," Matt said. "I wouldn't be surprised if this is the longest they've been in each other's company since they were human - Freya wasn't there, and Rebekah and Kol were in and out of coffins all the time."

"That's true," Caroline conceded.

"It doesn't help that Kol wants us to have a home just for the three of us," Davina said with a sigh. "You know what Klaus is like about things like that."

Caroline grimaced. "He takes it as abandonment. Even when it's not. You two could be next door and he'd see it as Kol walking out on his family."

There was a quiet tap on the door and Aiden poked his head in. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

"Come on in," Caroline said with a smile. "Welcome to the Mikaelson Family Support Group. We keep each other sane in the middle of the insanity. You, Josh and Sophie have been granted honorary membership, even though you can still escape."

Aiden chuckled. "Well, I'm flattered. I guess you guys are discussing the current situation?"

"They've all got a touch of codependency going on," Caroline said with a sigh. "They wear on each other's last nerve, but they won't consider separation as a solution. And, honestly, I don't want that either. I like having you lot around. Any ideas?"

"Can I ask the obvious?" Aiden said, helping himself to a cookie.

"Please," Caroline said, a touch of desperation in her voice.

"Yeah, you've got a bit of distance," Matt said. "Maybe you've seen something we haven't."

"Well, it's more of a logistics thing," Aiden said, "but this place is _huge_. Could you not split the upstairs into separate apartments? That way you'd all still be in the same house, you could have down here if you wanted to all be together, but you'd all have your space as well."

The three of them stared at him for a few moments and he coloured a little under their gaze. "Just an idea."

"No," Caroline said in a hushed voice. "Aiden, you are a genius."

In practice, it wasn't quite that simple, although once the idea had been put to the whole family, there was an immediate agreement.

For one, there was the unusual layout to consider. For another, they needed a few more apartments than they had thought.

By the time Christmas had passed and 2016 had been welcomed in with a bang, the compound had gained another storey and two upper stories had been split into seven apartments.

Klaus and Caroline's had been planned around Hope's nursery. Caroline had decided to move her office downstairs, so that anyone could still visit if they needed her, but she had also insisted on a spare room.

"Not just for my mom," she had said to Klaus when she'd brought it up, "but Hope's not going to stay this age forever. At some point, she's not going to want a mural of her whole family watching her sleep and I don't want to paint over it."

Next door, Kol and Davina had set up, although their nursery didn't have a wall mural, so they would be able to redecorate as the baby got older.

Likewise, Matt and Rebekah had requested a spare room, still considering the idea of adopting.

Above those three, Elijah, Freya and Sophie all had their own apartments, this time with one bedroom, but with the same living area and kitchen.

The final apartment had come as a surprise to their actual occupants - Josh probably should have realised that they wouldn't kick him out with the renovations, but given the look on his face, he certainly wasn't expecting a set of keys.

He and Aiden hadn't even really discussed moving in together. It just sort of happened that he spent most nights at the compound.

"We gave you a spare room," Caroline added, as they gazed around in shock. "Figured that Nick might want to stay the night every now and then."

Aiden just nodded mutely, while Josh hugged Caroline tightly, his embrace saying everything he couldn't.

Caroline hugged him back with a smile. "You're welcome. Right, I need to go and make a list of things to get for our kitchen. The main kitchen will still be stocked and we're planning on trying to eat together at least a few times a week. That includes you two - no excuses."

"Yes, ma'am," Josh said automatically, watching the front door (seriously, they had a front door) close behind her.

"Did you know about this?" Aiden asked.

"No," Josh said. He thought for a second. "I mean, thinking about it, maybe I did. Caroline never said it outright, but … maybe she figured it was implicit."

"Which for her it probably was," Aiden said, wandering over to the bookshelf. "She really thought about it though. I told her that was my favourite book months ago and …" He faltered, his eyes falling on a framed photograph.

"Is that you and Nick?" Josh asked, peering over his shoulder.

Aiden nodded, his jaw clenched. "With our parents. She must have asked Helena."

"Is that okay?" Josh asked.

Aiden nodded again. "Yeah, I just … I just can't believe she went to all this effort. Okay, it's Caroline - I can believe it. She doesn't do things by half."

"She once referred to herself as my vampire mom," Josh said with a weak smile. "Even though she didn't sire me and I'm technically older than her, it actually kind of fits." He hesitated. "You've never told me what happened to your parents."

"They were killed by vampires," Aiden said flatly. "That's why."

Josh froze. "Aiden …"

"You weren't the one that killed them," Aiden said, turning to him with a tired smile. "The blame falls on Marcel. And on an idiotic alpha that started a war and decimated the pack in the process. They would have loved you, Josh. Because I do."

Josh smiled, his fingers curling around Aiden's as he leaned in to kiss him. "So you're okay moving in with me then?"

Aiden chuckled. "I think we'd kind of already done that. Why else would Caroline assume we already had?"

"Well, either that," Josh said, "or decided to give us a kick up the ass to get us moving."

* * *

Kol's birthday arrived in March.

He was woken by his fiancee, not quite in the way he would have liked, but waking up with her in his arms was always a good start to the day.

"It's early," he murmured, once he'd checked the time. "You couldn't let me sleep in this morning?"

"Sorry, honey," Davina said. "Your present's here."

That woke him up properly and he gave her a playful poke on the nose. "I thought I told you not go get me anything."

"I didn't," Davina said, squeezing his hand, and it was only now he noticed the slight grimace on her face. "Get Sophie for me please? The baby wants to come today."

* * *

**AN: So the UK is now officially in lockdown and I am trying to set up to work from home. For those of you who don't know, I work for a finance company as a credit controller - which means that my job currently involves contacting businesses that should be closed for money they don't have.**

**It's great fun.**

**Hopefully you're all keeping safe and healthy. It's not easy, but we'll all be out the other side of this before we know it.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Mama, can we see baby please?!"

Caroline smiled, lifting Hope onto her hip. "Not yet, sweetheart. We still have to wait for the baby to come out of Auntie Davina's tummy."

The family had gathered in the hallway outside Kol and Davina's apartment, with the exception of Freya and Sophie, who were helping Davina.

"This is so different to when Hope was born," Matt murmured.

"At least we know about this one," Rebekah said, her eyes shining with excitement.

"A lot less dramatic as well," Elijah commented.

"Not for Davina, I bet," Caroline said.

As if to prove her point, Kol emerged from the apartment, looking faintly ill.

"Are they here?" Rebekah asked eagerly.

"Not yet," Kol said. "Davina's asking for you, Caroline; apparently, I'm not being very helpful."

Caroline chuckled. "Okay then."

"I come too?" Hope asked.

"Actually, Hope, I need you to do something even more important," Caroline said. "I need you to give Uncle Kol a big hug and make him feel better."

Hope nodded seriously and allowed herself to be handed over.

Kol gave a weak smile, rubbing her back. "Thank you, darling."

Patting his arm, Caroline let herself in to the apartment. There was no noise coming from the bedroom, but the smell of sage was very strong, so that was to be expected.

"How are we doing?" She asked, slipping in.

"I need a mom," Davina said, reaching for her, her eyes red with tears. "This really hurts!"

"I know, sweetheart," Caroline said, taking her hand. "You're doing so well, Davina; I know it doesn't feel like it right now. Sophie, where are we?"

"Need you to start pushing, Davina," Sophie said briskly. "On three now."

Davina whimpered, and Caroline settled beside her, squeezing her hand. "Come on, Davina. You can do this. Just breathe with me; it'll all be over soon. Deep breaths; that's it. Good girl."

Davina screamed, and a split-second later there was another set of lungs doing the same thing.

"He's here," Freya said, passing the baby up towards them.

Davina choked out a sob. "Hi sweetheart! Hi! Oh God, Caroline, look at him!"

"He's gorgeous, Davina," Caroline said, gently touching the baby's back. "Congratulations."

While Davina gazed down at him, Sophie cleaned him up and got him wrapped up. "There we are."

"Thanks," Davina murmured, her eyes fixed on her son. "This is …" She finally looked up at Caroline. "You didn't tell me it would feel like this."

Caroline smiled softly. "Can you put it into words?"

"No," Davina admitted. "No, I can't." She shifted and grimaced. "You didn't tell me about that bit either."

"Well, in my defence, if I hadn't healed on my own, my daughter would have taken care of it," Caroline said. "Looks like your little one will do things more in the usual way. Do you want me to take him while you get cleaned up?"

Davina hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Can you take him out to Kol? He's probably beside himself by now."

"If he isn't, Hope is," Caroline said, taking the baby. "Hi honey. Shall we go and see Daddy?"

When she stepped out of the apartment into the hallway, bundle in her arms, everyone stilled.

Kol allowed Hope to slide down from his lap and slowly rose to his feet. "How …?"

"Davina's fine," Caroline said with a smile. "She's just getting cleaned up. Did you know what she was having?"  
Kol shook his head. "No, we decided not to find out."

Caroline grinned. "It's a boy."

"A boy," Kol repeated, a bright smile spreading across his face.

"A very handsome little boy, I must say," Caroline said, passing the baby over.

"Mama?" Hope asked, tugging her pants. "Mama, I see?"

Caroline laughed and picked Hope up, so she could peer into the bundle in her uncle's arms.

"Tiny," Hope said, wrinkling her nose. "He play?"

"Not yet baby," Caroline said. "He'll need to get a bit bigger before he can play with you."

"Oh, Kol, he's gorgeous," Rebekah whispered, resting her head on her brother's shoulder. "What's his name?"

"Before you answer that question," Freya said, sticking her head out, "Davina says you can all come in. You too," she added to Josh. "She specifically asked for you."

Kol led the way to the bedroom, where Davina was looking much better, although very, very tired.

"We won't stay long," Rebekah said immediately, bending to kiss her cheek. "You look exhausted."

"How some women willingly go through that more than once I will never know," Davina said with a laugh. "Apparently it's something to do with the hormones, but I don't feel it yet."

Kol sat down beside her and she leaned into him, touching their son's face gently.

"I can't believe he's here," she murmured. "You weren't even supposed to get here for another three weeks, young man."

"Clearly he's impatient," Elijah said. "He gets that from his father."

"Hey!" Kol protested, when everyone else laughed. "I resent that."

"You do that, honey," Davina said with a grin. "You know he's right."

"Auntie Vina," Hope said, reaching for her.

"Sweetheart, Auntie Davina might be a bit sore …" Caroline began.

"It's okay," Davina said, shifting a little so Hope could tuck in beside her. "Just mind my tummy, Hope, and we'll be okay. What do you think of your baby cousin, honey?"

"He small," Hope said.

"He is very small," Davina agreed. "That's because he wasn't quite ready to come out yet; he'll grow soon."

"What his name?" Hope asked.

"That's what we'd all like to know," Rebekah said. "I assume you had one?"

"We had a name for a boy and a name for a girl, just to be safe," Kol said. "Are you happy with it, Davina?"

Davina took another look at their son. "Yes, it feels right. Do you want to tell them?"

"Okay." Kol took a deep breath. "Everyone, this is Henrik Joshua Mikaelson."

* * *

Caroline's prediction about Henrik's magic turned out to be only half-correct - while he certainly wasn't as powerful as Hope, he was certainly more powerful than the average witch of his age.

The Mikaelsons were trying to be 'normal' siblings, whatever they were, and when Henrik was three months old, Kol finally agreed to leave Davina at home with the baby in order to go out with them - although what they were doing, Davina didn't know - and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

Henrik was asleep, so Davina was taking the opportunity to enjoy a book and a cup of tea, when there was a mild tap on the door.

"Come in," she called, not bothering to get up - the apartment doors did lock, but no one ever bothered.

"Auntie Davina!"

Davina smiled, setting her book down, and catching her niece as she ran towards her. "Hello, Hope - you need to try to be quiet; Henrik's asleep."

"Sorry," Hope whispered.

Davina kissed her forehead, looking up at Caroline. "What's up?"

"I need to go to the bayou," Caroline said, with a slightly strained smile. "There's been an incident - I don't think there'll be any issues, but I don't want to take Hope just in case there are; do you mind …?"

"No, of course not," Davina said hastily. "She can stay with me."

"Thanks," Caroline said. "I'd ask someone else, given you have enough on your hands, but everyone else is out somewhere."

"It's fine," Davina said. "Hope's a good girl; even if Henrik wakes up, we'll be fine."

"Alright, if you're sure." Caroline blew a kiss to Hope. "Be good baby girl."

"Okay, Hope," Davina said, when the door had closed behind her, "what can we play that's quiet?"

It turned out that the easiest 'quiet' activity was reading. Thankfully, Hope loved books, so she was quiet happy to sit on Davina's lap and listen to stories.

Now nearly three-and-a-half, Davina was even able to get her to identify some of the letters, which Hope was very proud of.

They were on the fourth story, when Davina felt a shiver run up her spine. She paused mid-sentence, listening intently.

She couldn't hear anything, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Auntie Davina, what was that?" Hope asked.

If Hope had felt it too, something wasn't right.

"I don't know, sweetheart." Davina stood up, wincing as she heard Henrik start to cry, but she refrained from rushing to his side, heading instead to the window to peer out.

She could see nothing incriminating on the street, but the protective spells around the compound were wavering in a way that suggested they had been breached.

For a second, she froze, then her son's crying spurred her into action.

"Hope, come with me please."

Hope trotted to her side and Davina took her into the nursery.

"Ssh," Hope said to the baby. "Don't cry."

"He's scared, sweetheart," Davina said, crouching down. "Hope, I need you to be very brave because I think there are some not-nice people in the house. So you need to hide." Her eyes fell on the cupboards under the changing table.

A toddler would just about fit in there.

Davina opened the door and Hope crawled in without needing any further instruction. "Auntie Davina, I'm scared."

"I know." Davina could hear footsteps now, and she grabbed Henrik from the crib and settled him in with Hope on her lap, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Stay there. What's the magic word this week?"

The magic word had been Kol's idea, when the compound's rule of 'Hope has to come out from where she's hiding when she's called' proved problematic when playing hide-and-seek.

So every week, they gave her a word that she had to respond to.

"Cabbage," Hope mumbled.

"Good girl," Davina said hurriedly. "Do not come out unless someone uses that word." She closed the cupboard, whispered a quick spell, and then left the nursery, carefully closing the door behind her, before turning to face whatever was going to come through the door.

* * *

Sophie arrived home, cheerful but tired from another long shift. She was whistling as she let herself into the compound - a tune that came to an abrupt halt when she realised two things - firstly, the protective spells around the compound had been broken, and secondly, Jeanette was lying in the middle of the courtyard, her neck at a very odd angle.

Sophie cautiously edged forwards. "Hello?"

No one answered.

Pulling out her cell-phone, she called Caroline, but she couldn't hear the phone ringing anywhere nearby.

_"Sophie? What's wrong?"_

"I'm not sure," Sophie said. "Where are you?"

_"I'm on my way back,"_ Caroline said. _"I had to go out to the bayou."_

Sophie's blood ran cold. "Where's Hope?"

_"I left her with Davina_," Caroline answered, worry beginning to tinge her voice. _"What's happened?"_

"Get home quickly," Sophie said. "Something's wrong. I just don't know what." She hang up and raced upstairs to Davina and Kol's apartment, bursting through the front door only to stop dead in horror.

Davina was slumped on the floor, unmoving.

"Davina?" Sophie whispered. "Davina, are you okay?"

There was no response.

Dropping to her knees beside her friend, Sophie rolled her over, biting back a scream when she was met with wide, unseeing eyes, and a neck that was clearly broken.

"No, no, no, you do not get to die on me," Sophie muttered, checking her pulse. "Davina, don't be dead; please don't be dead … Oh, God - Hope!"

The apartment was far too quiet for one that was holding two small children.

Sophie lunged for the door of the nursery, finding the crib empty.

"Hope?" She called. "Hope, it's Auntie Sophie!"

She still got no response, and she closed her eyes.

"Hope, cabbage. Come out please."

The creaking of a door sent a flood of relief through her and she scrambled to the changing table, the open door breaking the charm Davina had placed and allowing her to hear Henrik's screaming.

"Oh thank God …" Sophie pulled Henrik out so Hope could climb out and swept her into her arms. "Oh, thank God you're both okay."

Before she could stop her, Hope wriggled out of her arms and ran out to the living room. "Auntie Davina!"

"Hope …" Sophie called, hurrying out after her, trying to comfort the screaming baby in her arms.

"Auntie Davina, wake up!" Hope shouted, shaking her aunt.

Sophie closed her eyes against the tears that threatened her, sinking on to the couch. "Hope, come here please."

For a second, it looked like Hope would refuse, but something in Sophie's voice apparently caught her attention and she did as she was told. "Why isn't Auntie Davina waking up?"

"She's …" Sophie sucked in a breath, trying to remember what Caroline had told Hope about the people on her mural in the clouds. "She's gone to live with the angels, baby-girl, and she can't come back."


	10. Chapter 10

Caroline burst through the door five minutes later to find two crying children, one crying adult, and …

"Oh God, Davina …"

"Mama, Auntie Davina won't wake up," Hope said, running to her.

Caroline knelt down to catch her. "Sweetheart … Sophie, what happened?"

"Her …" Sophie's voice caught. "Her neck's broken, Caroline; we need to call Kol."

"We can't tell him that over the phone," Caroline protested. "It's going to break his heart as it is - Oh, sweetheart …"

"Why won't she wake up?" Hope sobbed. "Auntie Freya would wake up."

That caught Caroline's attention. "How does she know that?"

"I have no idea," Sophie said, sniffling. "Hope, Auntie Freya is a Mikaelson witch, like you - things can happen to Auntie Freya that can't happen to me and Auntie Davina."

"I want her to wake up," Hope said.

"So do I baby girl," Caroline said softly. "But she can't …"

"It's not FAIR!" Hope screamed.

The blast of magic caught Caroline by surprise, not least because it actually knocked her backwards.

For a second, the room was quiet - even Henrik had been shocked out of crying by the sudden explosion.

Then Hope burst into tears again. "I'm sorry Mama!"

"It's alright, sweetheart," Caroline said, scooping her. "It's alright - it was an accident because you were upset. Okay, I know you're upset - I'm calling Daddy right now, okay? Because Daddy needs to - Nik? Nik, you need to get home now! Something's happened; Davina's …"

She was cut off by a sudden gasp.

Davina bolted upright, grabbing her throat, and Hope threw herself out of her mother's arms and into Davina's.

"Actually, she's okay," Caroline finished. "But get home anyway because I have no idea what the hell's going on."

"Auntie Davina, Auntie Sophie said you weren't coming back from the angels!"

"Sophie!" Davina protested, her voice quite hoarse. "Why would you tell her that?!" She struggled to her feet and moved to the couch, still with Hope clinging to her like a limpet. "It's alright, sweetheart; I'm here." She managed to free an arm and reached over to touch her son's face. "I'm here, Henrik. Mommy's okay."

"You were dead, Davina," Sophie said in a low voice. "You were definitely dead."

"Well, clearly I wasn't." Davina kissed Hope's forehead. "Sweetheart, can you budge over a little bit so I can make sure Henrik's okay?"

Hope hesitated, but when her mother sat down on Davina's other side, she shifted towards her, and Davina took her baby into her arms.

A quick check confirmed that his cries were purely due to fear, and she tucked him against her chest so he could her her heartbeat.

"Davina, you were definitely dead," Sophie said. "You don't … You didn't have vampire blood in your system, did you?"

Davina hesitated. "Not that I know of. No. No, Kol wouldn't do that, not without telling me."

"Look at me," Caroline said softly. She caught Davina's eye and focused on her pulse. "No, you're not in transition. You must have made a mistake, Sophie."

"You saw her," Sophie insisted. "She was dead."

"Okay, but she's not now," Caroline said sensibly. "Unless you're suggesting that she's been resurrected."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sophie said immediately.

The main door of the compound burst open and, a few seconds later, Kol blurred in, closely followed by his siblings.

"What happened?" Kol asked urgently. "Davina, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Davina insisted. "Sophie freaked out on us, that's all."

"Caroline?" Klaus asked.

Caroline smiled weakly. "Sophie got a shock when she got home; so did I. Sorry for worrying you. But someone got into the compound …"

"It was a witch," Davina interrupted. "She had some kind of history with Kol; wanted revenge. I hid the kids and we had an … altercation. I guess she must have knocked me out."

"She didn't do anything else?" Kol asked. "Did she tell you her name?"

Davina frowned. "I … I don't remember. The whole thing's a bit of a blur."

"Auntie Sophie …" Hope began.

"Auntie Sophie made a mistake," Sophie said hastily. "And I'm very sorry I scared you, Hope."

"Sophie?" Klaus prompted.

"I thought she was dead," Sophie said, getting to her feet so that Kol could sit beside his fiancee. "I must have made a mistake."

"I didn't double-check," Caroline said kindly. "It's not your fault."

"I know," Sophie said. "I just …" she gave a shaky laugh. "I can't feel my hands."

"I think you need a drink," Freya said firmly. "Come on."

"Time for us to go too, baby girl," Caroline said.

Hope shook her head, burying her face in Davina's arm. "No."

"We don't mind looking after her," Kol said.

Davina shook her head in agreement. "You probably need to debrief Klaus anyway."

"True," Caroline said. "Okay. I'll go and do that; she might have calmed down by then."

Hope didn't calm down.

In fact she wouldn't leave Davina's side for the rest of the day.

"Hope," Caroline called eventually. "It's bedtime, sweetheart."

Hope looked up at Davina. "Can you tuck me in please?"

Davina smiled and picked her up, carrying her down the hall to Caroline and Klaus's apartment and into the nursery.

Only once she was in bed did Hope finally allow Davina to move more than a few steps away from her, and only then to get a book.

"Which one would you like, Hope?" She asked.

"The puppy one," Hope said with a grin.

"Please," Davina finished automatically, finding the book she meant. When they'd finished, she eased Hope out of her arms and tucked the blankets around her.

"Auntie Davina, you will stay?"

Davina smiled, kissing her head. "Well, I need to go back to Henrik at some point. But I'll stay until you fall asleep, and I'm not going to live with the angels any time soon, okay?"

Hope nodded. "You were really asleep. I had to wake you up."

"Did you?" Davina asked, humouring her. "How did you do that?"

Hope yawned. "I wished you and Auntie Sophie could stay and teach me magic forever like Auntie Freya."

* * *

A few weeks later, and Davina was not quite as dismissive of Hope's assertion as she had been. Having packed Kol off to the park with Henrik to give herself a chance to for some me-time, she found herself standing outside Freya's apartment instead.

She had already talked herself out of it several times, when Freya opened the door with a smile.

"Are you coming in?" She asked. "Or would you like a chair?"

Davina smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm coming in. I need some … help's not the right word, but …"

"You want a second opinion?" Freya guessed.

"Not quite," Davina said, "but I guess that's the closest." She followed Freya into the apartment and sank on to the couch.

Once the Mikaelson siblings had somewhat separated, it became more and more obvious that sooner or later there would have been a clash somewhere along the line, if for no other reason than style preferences.

Each apartment was completely different from the last.

Freya's reminded Davina of a cross between an old tea shop, an antique store, and the apothecaries down in the Cauldron. It was a style more at home with someone the age of Madame LaRue, as opposed to someone who - on the outside at least - was young, vivacious and in her late twenties.

"So what's up?" Freya asked.

"I don't know," Davina admitted. "Ever since the thing with the witch, I've been … Something's off, Freya. Hope said that she woke me up and …"

"Do you think she did?" Freya asked sharply.

"I didn't," Davina said with a sigh. "And then I thought, well, maybe she did. Caroline said that she had a bit of a meltdown and there was a blast of magic - I was unconscious, maybe that did wake me up, but … I don't know."

"What do you know?" Freya asked, her voice softening.

"I …" Davina faltered for a second. "It's all still a blur, what happened, but I remember the pain. And Sophie said when she found me, my eyes were wide open and I had a broken neck."

"I'm sure there must be some cases where people are knocked out and their eyes don't close," Freya said. "Or maybe it was part of the spell. And she made a mistake; she said that herself."

"Maybe," Davina conceded. "Either way, Hope said that she wished Sophie and I would stay and teach her magic forever, like you."

"What did she mean by that?" Freya asked with a frown.

"I"m not sure," Davina admitted. "But Sophie said that she knew that whatever happened to me wouldn't have killed you."

"A broken neck would kill me," Freya said immediately. "At least it should."

"But you do heal quicker, don't you?" Davina asked. "The last three times I've cooked, I swear blind that I've cut myself. But every time I go to patch it up, there's nothing there. And there's this - can I borrow a tea cup?"

Freya raised an eyebrow, but obligingly fetched her a china cup. "Do you want something in it?"

"No, empty please." Davina took the cup and set it on the coffee table. She murmured a few words and the cup wiggled, before bouncing around the table like a rabbit.

Freya chuckled. "That's cute."

"I found it in your mother's grimoire, if you can believe that," Davina said. "Sophie and I thought it would be a nice spell to teach Hope. But I told Kol this morning, and you know what he said?"

Freya's smile faded. "What?"

"It's a family spell," Davina said. "Without Mikaelson family magic, there's no way in hell I should have been able to do that."

Freya was silent for a few moments, watching the tea cup bounce. Finally she picked it up, cancelling the spell. "I don't know what to say, Davina. If he's right, then what you just did is impossible unless you've somehow managed to absorb the family magic and I wouldn't even know how to go about testing that. The healing, on the other hand, should be easier."

"I'm not slicing my hand open," Davina said warily.

Freya laughed. "I'm not suggesting you do. We'll go and see a friend of mine. She might have a few ideas."

* * *

**You didn't really think I'd kill off Davina, did you? **

**I promise, this is the last time I use Hope as a deus ex machina. In this story at least.**

**On another note, I'm hoping someone can help me out - I've changed the story of the Gemini and the Merge in this series, as I'm sure you've noticed. However in Legacies (spoiler alert!) Caroline is out searching for a cure or a way to stop it. However, given that it is a spell that two witches have to perform, what happens if they just ... don't do it?**


	11. Chapter 11

'Friend' was not an accurate description.

Davina accompanied Freya to the other side of the city, to an apartment, where the door was opened by a pretty woman with frizzy dark hair.

"Freya! I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

"Sorry for dropping in unexpectedly," Freya said with a smile, brushing a kiss against the woman's cheek. "This is my sister-in-law, Davina. She needs a bit of help. Davina, this is Keelin."

Keelin gave her a bright smile and gestured them both inside. "Please come in. Although I don't know how you think I can help, Freya. Can I get you a drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Davina said, giving Freya a small smile. "How long have you and Freya been 'friends'?"

"Subtlety is not your strong point," Freya grumbled.

Keelin frowned at her. "Seriously? I know this is the first time I'm meeting at least_ one_ member of your family, but they don't even know about us?"

"I wanted to keep you to myself for a little while," Freya said. "My family are the definition of dysfunctional."

"She's right," Davina said. "Honestly, enjoy the peace while it lasts. Just to warn you, though, Freya is just as bad as the others, even if she pretends she isn't, so you're welcome to join the Mikaelson Support Group. We meet Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Saturday."

"I'd love to …" Keelin began.

"Why is there a Support Group?" Freya asked, looking slightly amused.

"Have you met you?" Davina asked. "It keeps us sane. Helps us figure out who's being paranoid about what on any given day. Also when you hang around your family, you start saying things like 'Someone's left a heart in the kitchen' like it's absolutely normal."

"I don't know whether to laugh or not," Keelin said.

"Laugh," Davina advised her. "It's easiest. At least you're not dealing with a vampire. Nine times out of ten, Kol brings me coffee and he manages to hand me the blood and keep the coffee himself."

"Yeah, he is really not a morning person," Freya said.

Keelin finally chuckled. "Okay, so how can I help?"

"Davina thinks she might be healing faster than she used to," Freya answered. "I can't actually track that with magic, so I was wondering if there was something you could do medically?"

"Sure," Keelin agreed easily. "I can do a blood test and then monitor the sample for a few weeks. We keep what we call a 'live sample' and it basically mirrors how the blood would react in the body. But," she added, "I want to test yours as well, while we're at it."

Freya sighed. "Okay. I'll get a sample of Sophie's as well."

"For control?" Keelin asked.

"Partly," Freya said. "And partly because if it happened to Davina, it happened to Sophie as well."

* * *

It was a few weeks later on a Wednesday that the results came through. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights were family nights, when everyone ate dinner together.

That wasn't to say that they only spent time together on those days, but the Mikaelson Support Group had agreed that it would be best if they had a few days fixed in the calendar.

While Sophie finished up dinner, Freya appeared in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Hi."

"Hi," Sophie greeted. "What's up?"

"Um, how mad will you be if there's an extra person at dinner?" Freya asked.

Sophie hesitated, casting an eye over the food. "Not too mad, but I would have appreciated more of a warning."

"I know," Freya said. "I kind of invited her on impulse and now I'm regretting it."

"Oh no," Sophie said firmly. "You are _not_ using me as an excuse, Freya. Is this the girlfriend? Do we finally get to meet her?"

"Well, yes, but if …" Freya began.

"Nope," Sophie repeated. "When you go and pick her up, because I assume you will, swing by the store and pick up some dinner rolls for me. That should plug any gaps, and we'll be fine."

By the time Freya returned with Keelin, the whole house knew she was coming and Caroline met them at the door.

"Fair warning …" she began.

"They're not going to go easy on me," Freya finished with a sigh.

Caroline grinned. "They've practically set up a receiving line. Hi Keelin, nice to see you again."

"Hi," Keelin said, gripping Freya's hand. "I promise I'm not nervous."

"I would be," Caroline said honestly. "It's okay, they don't bite." She paused. "Okay, bad choice of words."

Keelin laughed, holding up a bag. "Well, I brought dessert."

"Okay, we're keeping you," Caroline said, taking the bag from her. "Come on in."

Without even consulting each other, Caroline and Davina had both given their respective partners a frank talk about being nice to their sister, although Caroline was more concerned about Klaus's reaction than Kol's.

After all, in the past, Kol had only ever been an irritant to Rebekah's lovers, rather than their murderer.

Thankfully, Klaus was perfectly civil to Keelin - whether he had grown up or just dealt with his siblings' female partners differently to the male ones, Caroline didn't know - and she wasn't about to ask.

Keelin took everything in her stride, not flinching at some of the more impolite questions (Kol) or even Hope's innocent "Can I be your bridesmaid?"

(Freya, on the other hand, nearly had a panic attack at that one.)

As the plates were cleared away after dinner, Freya cleared her throat. "So … Keelin's been asking me for ages to meet you, so thank you for not showing me up."

"Give them time," Matt said with a grin. "Night's not over yet."

Freya smiled. "True. Thing is, there is another reason she's here. Davina?"

Davina glanced up from cleaning Henrik's face. He wasn't anywhere close to eating solid food yet, but he did fuss when they had dinner, so she had taken to sitting him in a high chair and giving him a little bowl of milk mixed with some banana and a spoon, so he felt like he was joining in.

The side effect was that it went _everywhere_.

"You got the results back?"

"I did," Keelin said.

"Results from what?" Kol asked, sounding concerned.

Davina smiled. "Relax, honey. I'm not sick." She lifted Henrik out of the high chair and sat down again with him on her lap. "I know we all remember what happened a few weeks ago, when Sophie … panicked. I don't know if Sophie was right or not, but I thought something was different so I asked Freya for help. Keelin suggested doing a blood test."

"Hang on," Caroline said, frowning. "What do you mean, you don't know if Sophie was right? She can't have been right, Davina - you're alive."

Davina shrugged. "I know. Hope, honey? Do you remember the wish you made?"

Hope shrugged, her eyes darting to her mother.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Caroline said gently. "No one's going to be upset. Do you remember Auntie Davina getting hurt?"

Hope nodded. "Auntie Sophie said she went to live with the angels."

"And did you make a wish?" Caroline asked.

Hope hesitated.

Davina passed Henrik to Kol and rounded the table to crouch beside Hope's chair. "We need to know what happened, baby girl. You told me about your wish, remember?"  
Hope nodded again. "I wished that you and Auntie Sophie could stay and teach me magic forever like Auntie Freya."

"What's special about Auntie Freya?" Caroline asked. "No offence, Freya."

"None taken," Freya said. "I want to know the answer myself."

"Auntie Sophie said Auntie Freya's special because she's a Mikaelson witch so she can be okay if she and Auntie Davina aren't," Hope said.

"You did," Caroline said, looking at Sophie. "Because Hope knew that Freya would have been okay if her … You know."

"So the blood test is why you wanted a sample from me as well?" Sophie asked Freya.

"That's right," Freya answered. "Although Keelin still hasn't told me."

"Well, are you okay for me to tell you here?" Keelin asked. "I should probably still try to aim for doctor-patient confidentiality."

"I'm fine with it," Davina said.

"Same here," Sophie added.

"Just tell us," Freya said. "They're all going to find out anyway."

"Okay, well, all three of you showed the same thing," Keelin said. "Your cells _are_ healing rapidly. We call it rapid regeneration."

"So I was right," Davina said, a hint of triumph in her voice. "I wasn't imagining injuries."

"No, you weren't," Keelin agreed. "Now I can't tell you when this happened. What I can tell you is that it's actually a little bit more complicated than that."

"How?" Freya asked.

"Your cells aren't just healing rapidly," Keelin said. "They're not ageing either. In fact, they were in the same state as every sample of vampire blood I've examined."

"How in the name of …?" Kol cut himself off. "That's not even possible, is it? Witches can't be immortal, can they?"

"Freya was right next to Dahlia when she died," Caroline said slowly. "Is it possible that when she died, Freya, I don't know, absorbed the magic?"

"It's possible," Freya said, after a pause. "But by that logic, surely I should have passed out by now. We had to sleep for a century in between years, remember?"

"Well, if you absorbed Dahlia's magic, you would have absorbed Esther's as well, wouldn't you?" Matt asked. "They died at the same time."

"That still doesn't explain Davina and Sophie though," Kol said.

"Hope wanted us to be like Freya," Davina said with a shrug.

"There was a blast of magic," Caroline said slowly. "It knocked me off my feet, remember?"

"It wasn't fair," Sophie repeated.

"Mama," Hope said quietly. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, baby girl, you're not in trouble," Caroline said hastily. "You didn't do anything wrong. But you need to remember to try and be careful with your magic, okay? Because this was a good thing, but you could have hurt someone instead."

Hope nodded. "I'll be careful."

Caroline kissed her head. "Good girl."

"There is actually something else," Freya said. "Davina said that she managed to perform a spell that should require Mikaelson family magic."

"Oh, the teacups?" Sophie asked. "I could do that one too."

"That's not possible," Kol said.

"Actually it makes sense," Caroline said. "From what Sophie said, it sounded like Freya was immortal - or couldn't die, rather - _because_ she was a Mikaelson witch. At least, that would be a reasonable conclusion."

"How would we even test that, though?" Freya asked. "To my knowledge, there's no way of checking that kind of thing. I mean … I could sense Mikaelson magic in someone, but I've known Davina and Sophie for long enough that I don't know if I would register a change."

"What about the map?" Matt asked. "It shows up everyone with Mikaelson family magic, right? So there should only be seven."

"I'll go and find it," Kol said, handing Henrik off to Rebekah, who bounced him a little on her knee, making him squeal with laughter.

"Who wants dessert?" Sophie asked. "I've got ice cream."

"I brought a cake," Keelin added.

"Cake please!" Hope said immediately.

"Well, since you asked so politely," Sophie said with a smile.

Caroline followed her into the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Sophie said briskly.

"No you're not," Caroline disagreed.

"Then why did you ask?" Sophie asked with a sigh. "No, I'm not okay. I also don't want to think about it right now. Let's just take this out."

Caroline grabbed the ice cream from the freezer and some bowls, while Sophie turned out the cake on to a plate.

"That cake looks amazing," Caroline said as they returned to the dining room.

"Thank you," Keelin said with a smile. "I'd love to say I made it myself, but it came from a box mix."

"I count that as making it," Caroline said.

"Cake please," Hope repeated.

"Hold on, sweetheart," Caroline said with a laugh. "Let us cut it first."

"It is coconut," Keelin said. "I don't know if Hope's had that before."

Caroline thought for a second. "No, I don't think she has. Hope, do you want to try some of Mommy's first? It's a new flavour."

Hope nodded. "Yes please."

Caroline gave her a small spoonful of cake and watched. She loved watching Hope try new things. She wasn't even four yet, but she took every new food with the same kind of solemnity of a food critic, chewing slowly with her head tilted to one side as though considering her response.

"Do you like it?" Caroline asked after a few minutes.

Hope smiled. "Uh huh. Yes please."

"That's my polite girl," Caroline said, kissing her head. "You've been very good with your pleases and thank yous lately."

"Where has Kol got to?" Rebekah asked, accepting a slice of cake over Henrik's head. "Did you bury the map?"

Davina shrugged. "I guess it might have got a little lost when we moved."

As if on cue, Kol returned, the map in his hands. "Matt, you brought it up," he said a little shortly. "How many dots can you see?"

Matt took the paper and squinted at it. "Hard to say - you're all here so they've overlapping, but I count …" he faltered. "Nine. I see nine."

"Let me see?" Rebekah asked, trading him the map for a forkful of cake. "I count nine."

"You were right," Kol said to Davina.

* * *

"You're upset."

Kol sighed. "You're alive. Of course I'm not upset."

Davina set the baby monitor down on the nightstand - Kol didn't need one, of course, but it made her feel better to have it there. "Of course you're not upset that I'm alive. But Freya, Sophie and I are now all immortal witches. Something that shouldn't even be possible. And you know that Hope won't be able to repeat this."

"I don't think anyone could," Kol said heavily.

Davina rubbed his back, pressing a kiss against his head. "I'm sorry. If I could give you your magic …"

"I know," Kol said, tugging her into his lap. "But I've done a lot of bad in my life. To get my magic back would be more than I deserve. You loving me is more than I deserve. And forever just got a lot longer."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: So the next part of this story is either going to be one people love or hate - all I can say is this is in this story because of one scene in the sequel that popped into my head and needed a more than a five second explanation to work.**

* * *

The Saltzmans insisted on hosting the girls' birthday that year, the Salvatores hosted Christmas in Mystic Falls, and the Mikaelsons hosted New Year.

In hindsight, they probably could have planned that better so they didn't end up bouncing back and forth between Louisiana and Virginia.

As January eased into February, Freya found herself driving back into Mystic Falls, Bonnie's voice still echoing in her ears.

_"__I know this is really weird, but I need your help. I am completely stumped by this one."_

To keep from worrying anyone unnecessarily, Freya had not divulged the reason for her trip to the rest of her family, especially as Bonnie had asked her to meet her, not at her house or the Mystic Grill, but at the Salvatore Boarding House.

Freya pulled up outside, stifling a yawn. Sleeping for more than a century meant that she was not particularly fond of flying, so she had driven through the night to get to Virginia, concerned by the worry in Bonnie's voice, arriving in Mystic Falls early in the afternoon.

Bonnie met her at the door with a mug of coffee. "Thank goodness you're here."

"Please tell me that's for me," Freya said.

"Here," Bonnie said, passing her the mug. "It could have waited."

"Well, you're worried," Freya said. "What's up?"

"I have no idea," Bonnie said, leading her inside. "Hence needing your help."

Elena, Stefan and Damon were in the library, but it was immediately obvious that something was horribly wrong.

Elena was curled up at one end of the couch, her face deathly pale.

"Wow, you look terrible," Freya said, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sick," Elena muttered. "So's Katherine."

"Vampires don't get sick," Damon said tersely.

"Damon, if you say that one more time," Katherine said, practically stumbling in from the kitchen, "I'm going to hurt you. I know vampires can't get sick; that information is completely useless to us at this moment in time."

"I wish you'd been clearer," Freya said. "I would have brought Keelin with me."

"Damon does have a point," Bonnie said. "This isn't medical, Freya - it can't be."

"And you can't figure it out?" Freya asked, although she didn't wait for an answer, pressing a hand against Elena's forehead. "I'm guessing it's something to do with the doppelganger curse. Aside from the obvious nausea, what other symptoms are there?"

"Fatigue," Elena answered. "Headaches. Stomach cramps. Um …"

"Pregnancy symptoms," Katherine said bluntly. "Let's cut to the chase. Bonnie's already gone through all that - it is physically impossible for us to be pregnant, given we don't have a super-powerful Mikaelson witch that could have caused a miracle."

"Okay," Freya said. "I take your point. Bonnie?"

"I did the spell three times," Bonnie said. "They all came up clear and conclusive."

"Okay, well, let's double-check that first," Freya said, moving her hand to Elena's stomach. She murmured the spell under her breath, pausing before doing the same with Katherine.

"Okay, so I'm getting the same results," Freya said slowly.

"That's not possible," Katherine repeated.

Damon sat down on the arm of the couch beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure Freya has a theory. You have a theory, right?"

Freya grimaced. "Well, there's only one. Katherine, you tracked down the bloodline at some point, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Katherine said. "That's why I ended up keeping an eye on Elena. That was the last line left."

Freya nodded, straightening up. "It's the doppelgänger curse."

"But that's broken, isn't it?" Elena asked. "It was created with the hybrid curse and now that's broken."

Freya grimaced. "Yes and no. Doppelgängers are created to allow a magical loophole - in this case, to allow Mother's curse on Nik to be broken. However that, in itself, is a curse of sorts and that _hasn't_ broken. In fact, I'm not even sure how you'd go about that."

"So the curse is still in place, even though the …" Bonnie trailed off. "But the bloodline's ended. So …"

Freya nodded. "When Elena died and the bloodline ended, that caused a problem. My guess is that the curse has been searching for an outlet since she died, to try and find some kind of distant relative. Since there aren't any, it's made Elena conceive. Whether it's a clone-like situation or an actual magical conception, I don't know. And we probably won't know until the baby's born."

"Okay, but if that's true, why am I pregnant?" Katherine asked jerkily.

"My guess is that magic just can't tell the difference," Freya answered. "Kind of in the same way a genetics test can't tell the difference between identical twins. We'll have to keep an eye on you, though. Your body's been dead for a lot longer."

Elena jolted to her feet and Stefan moved to approach her, but she shook her head. "It's not … I'm not … I just … I need a bit of breathing space."

She hurried from the house, coming to a stop in the woods behind it, leaning against one of the trees to catch her breath.

She was not Caroline.

She had not spent her childhood dreaming of being a mother. She had known Stefan was a vampire long before any thoughts of the future had started forming in earnest.

Who would give children any serious thought if they were a physical impossibility?

She fumbled for her cell-phone. It rang for an unnervingly long time, but finally she got an answer.

_"__Elena?"_

"Ric, where's Jo?" Elena asked. "I know I called her number."

_"__She's giving the girls a bath,"_ Ric answered. _"Left her phone downstairs. What's wrong?"  
_

"Just …" Elena's voice caught. "Get her please?"

_"__Alright, hang on."_

There was a scuffling noise, followed by sounds of splashing and giggling, then Jo's voice came on the line. _"Elena? What's wrong?"_

"I'm pregnant," Elena blurted out. "Freya thinks it's something to do with the doppelganger spell and … I'm pregnant, and I have no idea how to deal with it, because this shouldn't even be possible and …"

_"Elena,_" Jo said, her voice reassuringly calm. _"Take a breath for me, sweetheart."_

Elena did as she was told. "How did you deal with it?" She asked in a small voice. "Yours should have been impossible as well."

_"__Well, my first inclination was a strong drink,"_ Jo said frankly, _"but apparently that would have been a bad idea."_

Elena choked out a laugh.

_"__So I ate a whole bar of chocolate," _Jo continued, _"and I didn't even feel guilty, and then I talked to Ric. Have you talked to Stefan?"_

"He knows," Elena said, sniffling. "Katherine's pregnant too. Freya's worried about her. I have no idea how to deal with this."

_"__What do you want?"_ Jo asked gently.

"I don't know," Elena admitted, feeling a tear begin to work its way down her face. "I want my mom."

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the line. _"We're on our way,"_ Jo said firmly. _"Just hang tight. We'll be there as soon as we can."_

* * *

Flying with two three-year-olds was not fun, which was why Jo and Alaric usually drove to Mystic Falls, but when Jo had told Ric what was going on, they agreed that speed was of the essence - and flying was going to be far quicker than driving.

By the time they piled into the rental car, Jo was exhausted. Both of the girls were in the middle of a meltdown, so she squeezed into the back seat with them, in the hopes of settling them.

But, no, they had interrupted bedtime, and neither child was happy about it.

They arrived at the boarding house just over three hours after Elena's call - and they found the house in absolute chaos.

Damon was pacing up and down, while Stefan spoke to him in an undertone. Jo could feel magic brimming on the floors above them.

"What happened?" She demanded, hoisting Josie better on to her hip.

"Something's wrong with Katherine," Stefan answered. "We're not sure what - they kind of kicked us out because Damon wasn't helping."

"Take her," Jo said, thrusting Josie into Stefan's arms. "I'll go." She hurried upstairs, following the magic, and then the voices, to one of the bedrooms.

Katherine was curled up on the floor beside the bed, doubled over in obvious pain.

"Talk to me," Jo said abruptly, slipping into doctor mode as easily as she slipped off her jacket.

"She's losing the baby," Freya said quietly. "I'm doing my best, but she's over 500 years old and her body can't deal with it."

"Please do something," Katherine whispered, shaking. "I can't lose another baby … Please …"

"Okay, up you get," Jo said, firmly but gently. "Come on." She pulled Katherine to her feet and settled her on the bed, urging her to lay back. "I know you're in pain and getting cramps - is there any blood?"

"A little," Elena answered, taking Katherine's hand. "Not a lot."

"Good, that's a good start," Jo said. "Elena, I need you for a moment."

Elena followed her into the bathroom without question, and Jo turned on the water to wash her hands. "How can I help?"

"I have a spell," Jo said softly, letting the water mask her voice from the other room. "It's an old spell, but I need your help. I can save the baby - but I won't be able to save the pregnancy."

"What …?" Elena broke off. "What does that even mean? How can you do one but not the other?"

Jo gave her a sad smile. "Well, that's where you come in."

Downstairs, Stefan and Alaric had swapped roles. Ric had talked Damon into sitting down and was trying to convince him to stay there, rather than run up to find out what was going on.

Stefan, meanwhile, had managed to calm the twins down. He had found a ball in Jo's hastily packed bag and was rolling it to each twin in turn for them to roll back.

Footsteps caught all of their attention and Damon rose slowly to greet Elena in the doorway.

"How is she?" Damon asked.

Elena smiled sadly. "Katherine's okay. The baby's okay. They're just … not in the same place."

Ric frowned. "In English?"

"She'll be fine," Jo said, as she, Freya and Bonnie joined them. "We've left her to rest."

Damon looked as though he wanted to race to her side, but held his ground for the moment. "Can someone explain what happened?"

"I'd like that answer as well," Freya said. "I've _never_ heard of that spell."

"It belongs to the Gemini coven," Jo explained. "Unlike most witch covens, ours is made up almost completely of one family. The spell was developed so that even if something happens to the mother, the child would still survive."

"What exactly did you do?" Damon prompted.

"She moved the baby," Elena said simply. "Rather than growing in Katherine's womb, it's growing in mine. I've got both of them, basically."

"Elena, are you sure?" Stefan asked. "You were kind of panicking about it."

"I was," Elena admitted. "And then Katherine started losing the baby and … Maybe I was picking up on her emotions, but … But I don't want to lose this baby. And I don't want to her to lose her baby either."

Damon pulled her into a hug. "Thank you," he murmured in her ear.

Elena squeezed him tightly. "You're welcome. At the moment. I'm sure if the morning sickness comes back I'll feel differently."

"That we can help you with," Freya said with a smile. "I'm back on familiar ground with that one."

"Can I …?" Damon began.

"I would," Elena said. "She's not handling it very well."

Damon had vanished in an instance, reappearing at Katherine's side. She wasn't in their bedrooms, but the one closest to the stairs, but she was curled up on the bed, her make-up streaked with tears.

She smiled weakly when she saw him. "Sorry."

"Lord knows what you're apologising for," Damon said, settling down beside her. "Honestly, I wait 160 years for an apology and then you start throwing them around for things that aren't even your fault."

That, at the very least, earned him a marginally wider smile.

"Did I do the right thing," she murmured, "letting Elena take them?"

"I don't think you could have stopped her," Damon said.

"But now she's got two," Katherine said. "And that's twice as risky."

Damon tugged her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "It's not the 15th century anymore, Kitten. Pregnancy and childbirth is a lot safer than it used to be."

"She's a vampire," Katherine said flatly.

"So's Caroline," Damon said. "She was fine; Elena doesn't have Psycho-Grandma on her back."

Katherine managed a small chuckle. "I guess." She heaved a sigh, melting against him. "We didn't even get a chance to talk about it. Are you okay?"

Damon was silent for a few moments, stroking her hair. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted. "Not about you - you'll be an amazing mom. I just … I'm not sure if I'm cut out to be a father."

"I've seen you with Jeremy," Katherine said softly. "And we had Hope for three weeks. You'll be fine. I'm more worried about when they're old enough to start asking questions."

"We tell them the truth," Damon said. "And then point to Hope and tell them it could be worse."

* * *

Down in the kitchen, Elena was staring at a mug of blood, trying to calm herself.

Freya had mixed up a potion of sorts to help with the nausea and then disappeared with Bonnie to talk covens and magic. Jo and Alaric had taken the girls upstairs to put them to bed, finally.

And Elena was processing.

The hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle slightly, and she smiled. "Stefan."

Her husband slipped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "Okay?"

"Better." Elena heaved a sigh, draining the mug before the smell started to get to him. "It just feels … weird. Knowing that there are two people living in me right now."

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked. "You didn't really get much of a turnaround before having to make that decision."

"There wasn't a decision to make," Elena said tiredly. "If Katherine had lost the baby, we would have lost her and Damon as well. You know that."

"Elena …" Stefan began.

"I didn't feel coerced," she added hastily, turning in his arms to face him. "I made a choice. But half of the reason I made that choice was because the alternative was unthinkable. I hadn't thought about children. But then I hadn't thought about becoming a vampire either. And that's all worked out for the better."

Stefan nodded, looking a little pained. "I'm worried. What happens the first time one of them falls and skins their knee?"

Elena smiled. "Then you leave it to me. I'll patch them up, kiss it better and we'll move on. Quite frankly, Stefan, if our child is ever bleeding badly enough to trigger you, your bloodlust will be the least of my concerns."

Stefan grimaced. "I guess you're right."

"Look at it this way," Elena said, "you're fine with the girls. And Hope. You'll be a good dad."

Stefan cupped her face, hearing, as always, what she didn't say, as well as what she did. "You'll be fine, Elena. You'll be a good mom. Can I do anything to make it easier right now?"  
Elena wrinkled her nose. "Not really. I need a drink. And that's not happening."

"Yeah, that'll be difficult," Stefan said. "We can avoid it as well, if that makes it easier."

Elena laughed. "God, no! Trust me, Stefan, you never saw me when I was PMS-ing - if this is half as bad, you lot do _not_ need to be sober while dealing with it."


	13. Chapter 13

Elena, as it turned out, did not handle pregnancy very well.

The initial nausea eventually wore off, but the cravings and mood-swings were stuff of legends.

To avoid further gossip when the babies were born and promptly split between two sets of parents, Liz and Carol began to perpetuate the story that Elena had offered to be a surrogate for Damon and Katherine, and that she had somehow fallen pregnant with her own child at the same time.

After three months, when Elena was just beginning to show, Caroline turned up on the doorstep with Hope and a box of beignets.

Elena cried.

Once Hope was playing, Caroline guided Elena to the couch, letting her cry on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Elena sniffled finally. "I have no idea why I'm like this."

"Because your hormones are all over the place," Caroline answered.

"I'm dead, I shouldn't have any hormones," Elena said.

"Yeah, well, welcome to motherhood," Caroline said. "It sucks; you're gonna love it. Hope, not up the ladder!"

Hope pouted. "But …"

"Not up the ladder," Caroline repeated. "If you want something that's out of your reach, ask and I will get it for you."

Hope sighed. "Mommy, can you get that book for me please?"

Caroline smiled. "Yes, I can; thank you for asking so nicely." She handed Elena the box. "Have a beignet; it'll make you feel better." She hopped up and went over to her daughter, picking her up so she could point out the book. "It's probably not got many pictures, sweetheart. And the words might be quite small."

Hope shrugged. "That's okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Caroline returned to Elena's side, detouring to grab some napkins so Elena could clean up the powdered sugar.

"She's reading already?" Elena asked quietly.

Caroline shook her head. "Not really. She knows her letters and she can put together some of the smaller words. Mostly Hope reading means looking at a book and making up a story. So how are you?"

"I'm either crying or screaming," Elena said flatly. "And not in a good way."

"It will pass," Caroline said. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but it will. It gets better."

Elena heaved a sigh. "I just … I'm having trouble. But I can't imagine going through it along with all the fears you had."

"That wasn't fun," Caroline conceded. "But that doesn't mean that yours is easy. Everyone experiences pregnancy differently. Mom once told me that when your mom was pregnant with Jeremy, she just glowed all the way through it with no symptoms whatsoever and everyone hated her for it."

Elena smiled weakly and didn't respond, picking another beignet instead.

Caroline hesitated. Miranda and Grayson were still sore subjects for Elena and Jeremy - sometimes they were happy to talk about them; other times, the mere mention of them would send them into a slump.

"When I found out, I wanted Mom," Elena said after a few minutes, before Caroline could decide what to say next. "And then Jo came and … And that was almost as good. But now …"

"You still want your mom," Caroline finished, but Elena shook her head.

"No. Well, yes," she added. "But I know what Mom would say. I …" She paused for a second, then blurted out, "I want to talk to Isobel - is that weird?"

Caroline blinked in surprise. "Um … No? No, I don't think that's weird. I mean, she was the one that was pregnant with you, so she might have some kind of tips of dealing with whatever weird cravings you inherited from her."

"It's not just that," Elena said quietly. "I never got a chance to speak to Isobel - not the real Isobel anyway. The more I think back, the more I think … I think she turned her humanity off when she became a vampire. I didn't realise it at the time, because I had no frame of reference, but there was … There was nothing in her eyes. The only time she really talked to me was just before she died, and she was under compulsion, so I've got no idea if she was telling me the truth." She fell silent, munching on her beignet.

Caroline waited.

"I guess I just have questions," Elena said finally. "I mean, I can guess why she gave me up; she was a teenager, but …" she trailed off, a strange look crossing her face.

Caroline tensed. "Do you need a bucket?"

"What? No." Elena shook her head. "No. Jenna told me that Isobel was fifteen when she had me."

Caroline thought for a second. "Well, that sounds about right; I assume she was about Ric's age and he was about five or six years older than Jenna, right?"

"Caroline, you don't understand," Elena said. "She was fifteen."

The expression on Elena's face was clearing now, into something Caroline didn't quite want to think about.

"Okay, honey, I might need to buy a vowel here," Caroline said. "What was wrong about her being fifteen?"

"How old was John?" Elena whispered.

That pulled Caroline up short. She had never really thought about Elena and Jeremy's uncle as being 'old', because he had the kind of face that didn't really betray an age, but then again, he wasn't _that_ much younger than Grayson. "I … don't know."

"He was a year younger than Dad," Elena said flatly. "One year. Dad was twenty-eight when I was born."

"So John was twenty-seven," Caroline finished, "when he got a fifteen-year-old pregnant."

"I need to speak to her," Elena murmured, leaning into her. "I need to speak to Isobel."

"What about Jeremy?" Caroline asked, wrapping an arm around her. "Could he not form a link with Isobel?"

Elena was silent for a few minutes. "I don't really want to have that conversation through Jeremy. It's not fair."

"Well, what about Bonnie?" Caroline asked. "Maybe she knows a spell that would let you speak to her? And if she doesn't, then I'll ask Freya, Davina and Sophie. Someone must have something."

Elena managed a small smile. "Thanks, Care." She dug out her cell-phone and sent a quick text to Bonnie. "No time like the present."

"Auntie Elena?" Hope asked, trotting over with her book. "Are you sad?"

Elena gave her a smile. "No, sweetie, I'm not sad. The babies are making me a bit tired, that's all."

Hope tilted her head and looked at her in a way that reminded Caroline of Klaus when he thought she wasn't being entirely honest with him. "Can you read to me please?"

Elena's smile grew and she patted the space beside her. "Of course I can." She took the book from Hope so the little girl could scramble up on to the couch. "Oh _Alice in Wonderland_! This is one of my favourites."

Just as Elena opened the book, the doorbell rang.

"That was quick," Caroline said. "You only just texted."

"That's not Bonnie," Elena said. "She doesn't bother with the doorbell anymore."

"I'll get it," Caroline said hastily, before Elena could move. "You stay there."

"If you're sure," Elena said, more out of habit than any real concern.

Caroline opened the front door to a man - no, vampire - he was wearing a daylight ring. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, I hope so."

British accent. Caroline sighed internally. The track record of Mystic Falls and charming vampires with British accents was not good.

Her own, on the other hand, was much better.

"I'm looking for Damon Salvatore."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, at which his smile only got wider. "Why?"

He chuckled. "My, you are a suspicious one, aren't you? We're old friends."

"Old friends as in old friends?" Caroline asked. "Or old friends as in old enemies? Because with Damon the two seem to coincide a _lot_."

At this he burst out laughing. "You are absolutely right, love - absolutely right! But, no, _actually_ old friends. I don't mean him any harm."

Caroline observed him for a second more, then stepped back. "You may as well come in then. I'm sure Damon will be back soon."

"Thank you," he said, stepping inside. "And who might you be?"

"Caroline Mikealson," she said, holding out a hand. "Another old friend."

"Lorenzo St. John," he said, brushing a kiss against her knuckles. "Call me Enzo. Which kind of old friend are you then?"

Caroline smiled. "Depends on my mood. And his."

Enzo hesitated. "Mikaelson? As in …?"

"As in those Mikaelsons, yes," Caroline said cheerfully. "By marriage, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know. Elena, this is Enzo; old friend of Damon's."

Elena smiled up at him. "Hi, welcome to Mystic Falls. Don't drink anything."

"Oh?"

"Everything's laced with vervain," Caroline explained. "Damon and Stefan are out of town looking for blood bags. Elena is Damon's sister-in-law," she added.

"Well, it is lovely to meet you," Enzo said, bending to kiss her hand as well. "And who might this lovely young lady be?"

"This is my daughter, Hope," Caroline said. "It's story-time. Speaking of," she added, "how did you meet Damon?"

Enzo flinched. "It's not exactly a child-friendly story."

"You can use the kitchen," Elena offered. "That is, if you want to tell it."

Enzo gave a tight smile. "If Damon hasn't mentioned me, then he hasn't told the story, and I feel that should be his choice."

"Of course," Caroline agreed. "Still, have a seat; can I get you a drink of anything?"

Bonnie showed up ten minutes later, somewhat taken aback at the presence of another vampire.

"Auntie Bonnie!" Hope slid down from the couch before anyone else could respond, running to hug her.

Bonnie knelt down hastily to catch her. "Hey trouble."

Elena marked the page and closed the book. "Do you want to take this with you, Caroline? She'll probably want to hear the end of it, although it feels a little dry for a four year old."

"You should hear the books Elijah reads to her," Caroline said. "I'm surprised he hasn't got her started on Shakespeare." She took the book and slipped it into her bag. "Hope, sweetheart, time to go."

"But Auntie Bonnie just got here," Hope said, pouting.

"I know, but we're going to meet Grandma for dinner," Caroline said.

"Tell you what," Bonnie said to Hope. "I need to help Auntie Elena with a spell now. But how about you and Mommy come and have breakfast with me tomorrow and you can show me what Auntie Davina and Auntie Sophie have been teaching you."

Hope's face lit up. "Mommy, can we?"

"Of course we can," Caroline said. "Now give Auntie Elena a hug and thank her for letting you borrow the story."

Hope ran back to hug Elena. "Thank you, Auntie Lena."

"You're welcome." Elena kissed her head and heaved herself off the couch to give Caroline a hug. "Thanks for the tea and sympathy."

"It'll all be worth it, Elena," Caroline said. "Promise. Nice to meet you, Enzo; I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. See you tomorrow, Bonnie."

The front door closed behind her and Hope, and Elena heaved a sigh, rubbing her belly. "It's like a hurricane."

"Two hurricanes," Bonnie said with a fond smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a beached whale," Elena answered. "This is Enzo, by the way; he's an old friend of Damon's … Speak of the devil," she added, hearing the Camaro pull up outside. "Damon, you have a visitor."

With a slam of the front door, Damon was standing in front of them, making Bonnie jump a little. "For the love of … Stop doing that!"

To Elena's relief, Damon broke into a genuine smile when he saw Enzo. "What happened to two hundred years?"

Enzo shrugged, embracing Damon like a brother. "Got bored."

"Oh God there's two of them," Bonnie muttered. "Elena, you needed a favour?"

"I do," Elena answered. "But now that Hope's gone and Damon's here, I'd really like to hear how these two met."

Damon's expression darkened. "No, you don't."

Elena arched an eyebrow. "Oh? You know Stefan and Katherine aren't going to accept that."

"I know, but …" Damon sighed. "Elena, just let it go, yeah?"

"Not happening," Elena said firmly. "What happened?"

* * *

As it turned out, Damon was right.

She had heard of the Augustine Society, of course - whispers at family gatherings, muttered arguments between her dad and John - but nothing about the kind of medical torture Enzo told them about.

Damon stayed quiet, avoiding her gaze, telling her without words that he knew her family's history with them.

"We kept each other sane in there," Enzo said finally. "When we got out, we burned the place to the ground and agreed that we'd go our separate ways for the next two hundred years."

"Figured that way we wouldn't associate each other with those memories," Damon muttered.

"You should have told me," Elena said flatly.

"I know," Damon said, finally meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Enzo looked between the two of them. "I'm missing something."

"You tell him," Elena said to Damon. "Find out if there's anything I can do. Bonnie?"

"Of course," Bonnie said hastily, following her out into the back yard. "Are you okay?"

"Every time I think I know everything about my family, something throws me a curve ball," Elena said with a sigh.

Bonnie rubbed her back. "What can I do?"

"I need to speak to Isobel," Elena said, with more certainty than she'd used with Caroline. "I don't want to do it through Jeremy."

"That's fair enough," Bonnie said. "There is a spell I can try that would let you see what Jeremy sees for a while, but I'm not sure if it will work - generally, you'd need to be a witch."

Elena nodded. "Can we try please?"

* * *

It didn't work.

Elena was disappointed, but she at least got dinner with her brother out of it. Jeremy even offered to act as a go-between for her, but she declined.

She returned to the boarding house to find that Damon had offered Enzo one of the spare rooms. To her surprise, he made a point of finding her to apologise for any distress his story had caused.

"I already knew that my family had issues with vampires," she said, once she had recovered herself. "I'm more upset that Damon didn't tell me about it."

Elena went to bed that night with the fatigue she had grown used to in her pregnancy. She settled into the only position the babies would allow her to sleep in and soon drifted off, Stefan's presence warm against her back as always.

Some time later, she woke with a start, at first unsure as to what had woken her.

Stefan was no longer in bed and she rose to put on a robe to go and find him, when she realised two things: firstly that the clock had stopped and secondly that her baby bump, whilst still present and correct, was not causing her nearly as much discomfort as it usually did.

She was dreaming.

An odd dream, certainly - but a dream all the same.

She made her way out of the bedroom and down the dark staircase, fully intending to check to see if the other members of the household were also missing, and therefore try and figure out what exactly she was dreaming.

Then she saw it - a soft glowing light coming from the room the boys were setting up as the nursery.

Elena approached slowly, her hands automatically folding over her belly, coming to a stop in the doorway.

There was a woman, gazing out of the window - a woman with long dark hair - and Elena's heart began to beat just a little faster.

"Isobel?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Couple of points for this chapter:**

**1 - Isobel's view of her relationship with John (in this AU) does not reflect my own opinion.**

**2 - There is a sort-of revelation that kind of gets picked up and then dropped again - I might explore it later. I haven't decided. I just wanted to play with the idea.**

**3 - If you didn't read the first series (Trials & Tribulations), Katherine's daughter was called Anastasia and she died a human in the early 1500s.**

* * *

Isobel turned, and Elena immediately felt reassured, looking into eyes that were filled with emotion, not cold and heartless the way they had been at their first meeting.

"Elena?"

Elena managed a small smile. "Hi."

"Oh, Elena …" Isobel crossed the floor before Elena could register her movement, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "My darling girl, I am so sorry."

It was everything she had wanted from her biological mother when she went looking, and Elena nearly broke down, but she couldn't - not yet.

"Bonnie did a spell," she murmured. "I don't know how long it will last, I … I needed to talk to you."

Isobel pulled back. "Of course." She led Elena over to the window seat and they sat down facing one another.

"You were fifteen," Elena blurted out. "John was a lot older."

Isobel smiled wistfully. "He was. I was not a naive teenager, Elena. I told you once that my parents still visited my empty grave, but the truth is that they never did. They were always more enamoured with the idea of a child than the reality. I suppose I went looking for that affection. John was not the first man I had been with, Elena. Should he have been more responsible? Probably. But it was a consensual relationship, Elena. And he did love me. In his own way."

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I only realised it today, the age difference."

Isobel squeezed her hand. "It's not your job to worry about that. I wasn't going to give you up, since I know that will be your next question. But then you were born and … I didn't know what I was doing, Elena. Miranda did. Miranda was a mother without a baby. And you were a baby without a mother, a good mother, at least."

Elena was quiet for a few moments. "Thank you."

Isobel looked puzzled. "For telling you the truth?"

"No," Elena said. "You're not a bad mother, Isobel. You realised you couldn't look after me properly and you gave me the best parents in the world. So thank you." She hesitated. "Are you upset that I'm a vampire?"

"No," Isobel answered immediately. "Are you?"

Elena shook her head. "No."

"Then no," Isobel repeated. "I was against it happening against your will, Elena. If you're happy, that's all that matters. And that's all that matters to John, as well."

"If you say so," Elena murmured. "He left me a letter saying that he loved me whether I was reading it as a human or a vampire, but …"

"Believe it," Isobel said firmly. "You can't drive yourself mad with questions that can't be answered."

The lights flickered and Isobel glanced up at them. "We're running out of time, so very quickly: Alaric won't remember his time on the Other Side, I'm sure. So can you please apologise for me and tell him that we did make peace. And … tell him that the girls are beautiful and that I always knew he'd be an amazing dad."

"I will," Elena whispered.

Isobel sighed. "I wish … Honestly, sometimes I wish he'd been your dad."

"He is," Elena said. "I'm fortunate that I've had two dads - three if you count John, which I don't. Because as much as I love him as an uncle, he only stepped up as a father in the last moments. Ric was my dad when he didn't need to be, when it was the hardest moment for him to do so. Anyway, you didn't meet him until I was six."

"That's your only argument?" Isobel asked with a strange look on her face.

Elena shrugged. "A lot of people say Alaric and I are similar enough personality-wise to pass for father and daughter. I see it."

The lights began to dim.

"I love you," Isobel said hastily. "Never, ever doubt that. You will be a wonderful mother, Elena. And I'm sorry that we didn't meet before I turned everything off."

Elena gave her mother one last hug. "I love you too," she whispered. "Thank you."

Isobel pressed a kiss to her head. As the dream faded away, one last message echoed in Elena's ears and she opened her eyes with a start, waking Stefan as she did.

"You okay?" He asked. "Is it the babies? Do I need to call someone?"

"No," Elena said hastily, her hand pressing against the bump as one of them squirmed with annoyance at the sudden movements. "Bonnie's spell worked. I just spoke to Isobel."

"Are you okay?" Stefan repeated, his voice sympathetic.

"Fine," Elena said, still a little breathless. "She answered all of the questions I had. And a few I didn't. I need to call Ric."

"Elena, it's 4am," Stefan protested. "Wait until daylight, at least."

"Can't," Elena said, fumbling for her phone. "Need to talk to him now."

She did, however, send him a text first, asking if he was awake.

He called her a second later.

_"What's wrong? Do I need to come up there?"_

Elena felt a swell of affection. "No, I'm … I'm fine. Bonnie did a spell that let me speak to Isobel in my dreams."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. _"Well, I'm sure she has a message for me,_" Ric said finally, _"but I guess that could have waited. So what's wrong?"_

Elena took a deep breath. "You said you met Isobel at college."

_"I did_._"_

"That was the first time you met her?" Elena pressed.

_"Hang on._" The line went a little muffled, while Ric presumably got out of bed and left the bedroom in favour of a place where the conversation wouldn't wake his wife. _"No, it wasn't the first time. But I don't count that as a meeting, Elena. We were both young, both drunk, and it was one night. What did Isobel say to you?"_

"She's only 98% sure that John's my father," Elena said. "And the timing would be right for it to be you."

There was another pause, even longer this time. _"Elena," _Ric said finally, _"if you want to do a paternity test, we'll have to wait for the babies to be born, because you're a genetic copy of Katherine. But it's not something I need. You and Jeremy are my kids, alright? And that means far more than a teenage one-nighter."_

* * *

While Elena grappled with her ancestry, Katherine was trying to look forward. To be honest, part of her was angry with Isobel for even raising the matter with Elena - if Ric _was_ her father, it would mean that John died (in Elena's mind anyway) for no reason, and that Jeremy was not biologically related to her at all.

On the other hand, if Ric _wasn't _her father, Elena was left with John, with whom she had a somewhat complicated relationship.

Katherine sighed, turning her mind back to the task at hand, flipping through a book of names.

"Is that one in the running?" Damon murmured in her ear. "That's the fifth time you've come back to it."

Katherine smiled. "I do like it," she admitted.

"But?" Damon prompted.

Katherine sighed. "It just … It sounds too much like Ana's name, at least the shortened version does. I don't want it to feel like I'm replacing her."

"You're not," Damon said immediately. "Of course we're not replacing her, Kitten. She's just getting a sibling, that's all."

"I know," Katherine said, closing the book. "I wish … I wish I knew where she was."

It was a particular sticking point, one she had confided in Damon not long after he had unveiled her mother's restored painting - because the local parish had known Anastasia was a bastard child, they had not allowed her to be buried in consecrated ground.

Her children, borne of a legitimised union, were all neatly laid to rest in the family plot, but Ana had been cremated and her ashes scattered to the wind, not even a headstone to commemorate her.

"She's with her children," Damon said gently, "and Elena's parents, and she loves you. The location of her body is neither here nor there, Katherine; you know that. You want somewhere you can go to remember her."

"Well, if you've got any ideas," Katherine muttered, rubbing her temples.

Damon smiled. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Katherine asked, but he did not answer her, taking her hand to lead her downstairs and out the back door.

She followed him through the woods, getting no explanation or response to any of her queries, and they emerged into the back of the cemetery, beside the Salvatore family crypt.

"After you," he said, gesturing to the entry way.

Katherine hesitated, but went inside, ducking her head a little to avoid the low doorway. She had only been in here a few times - once when Damon was human to lay flowers on his mother's grave, and a few more times since they had reunited to do the same thing.

So it was on autopilot that she moved towards his mother's plaque, immaculately maintained among the faded names around her: _Maria Isabella Salvatore (nee Carbonelli) - beloved wife and mother - never forgotten._

Today, however, there was something different. There was a new plaque just below Maria's, one that made her heart swell in her chest, reaching back to clasp Damon's hand.

_Anastasia Petrova - beloved daughter - For when the bonds of flesh and blood break down, all we are left with is love._

"What … What does that mean?" Katherine asked, her voice a little shaky.

"She's not my biological daughter," Damon answered. "But that doesn't matter. Through your memories, I've grown to love her as though she was. And I just wish I'd had a chance to meet her. She deserved a proper burial - I can't go back in time and fix that. But I can make sure that there's somewhere for you to come now, to remember her. And to bring her brother or sister to tell them about her."

"Sister," Katherine said with certainty. "I can feel it."

* * *

Down in New Orleans, Rebekah was trying to have a quiet morning with a book while Matt was out for his run (why he kept it up as a vampire, she didn't know).

'Trying' that is, because even with the various spells and soundproofing, she could still hear Henrik's screaming - and it was coming closer.

With a sigh, she put her book down, just as there was a knock on the door. "It's open!"

Davina came in with her son, a look of pure desperation on her face. "Help me! Caroline's still in Mystic Falls and you've been round the block a few times, right? He won't stop crying and I don't know what to do!"

Rebekah smiled, getting to her feet. "Come here, sweetheart." Taking her nephew into her arms, she carried him over to the window so he could feel the warm breeze sweeping in. As she stood and slowly rocked back and forth, his screams began to quieten and he gradually drifted off in her arms.

"I'm a terrible mother," Davina said with a sigh.

"No, you're not," Rebekah said immediately. "I promise you Caroline went through this with Hope. Admittedly, he's a little older than they usually get this, but it's perfectly normal."

"What is it?" Davina asked.

"No idea," Rebekah admitted. "They used to call it colic. Personally, I think it's about the time that they suddenly realise how big and scary the world is. Either way, they just cry. No one knows why, but mothers panic. The babies pick up on it, so they get more unsettled, which makes you panic more, and the whole thing ends up in a vicious circle. All you need is someone calm to take the baby and it's like everything shuts off."

Davina curled up in her armchair. "Can I just … take a nap?"

Rebekah smiled. "Go ahead, sweets. I've got him."

Once Davina's breathing had evened out, Rebekah shifted Henrik to her shoulder and retrieved a blanket, draping it over her sister-in-law, before returning to the window, gazing out over the city while she rocked from foot to foot, the child in her arms breathing rhythmically against her neck.

She wasn't sure how long had passed before Davina's breathing hitched and she heard her stir.

"Have you been standing there this whole time?"

Rebekah glanced back at her. "It's okay; he's not heavy."

"Damn vampires," Davina grumbled, running a hand through her hair. "Are you okay?"

"He's not heavy," Rebekah repeated.

"I didn't mean Henrik," Davina said, getting to her feet. "Are _you_ okay?"

Rebekah sighed, not bothering to offer any protests. "I can deal with Caroline. And you. And Elena. But … Katherine can have a child, and I can't."

"Katherine's only because magic made a mistake," Davina said gently, "and her body couldn't take it. If Elena hadn't agreed, and Jo hadn't been there, that would have been the end of it."

"I know," Rebekah said with a weak smile. "And don't get me wrong - I _love_ being an aunt. But I want to be a mother." She fell silent for a moment, gazing down at her nephew. "Matt suggested adoption."

"That would be a brilliant idea," Davina said immediately. "Hell, I'd much rather have grown up with you as a mother, than my own."

"Not exactly a high bar there," Rebekah said with a laugh. "But thank you."


	15. Chapter 15

Hope would be five in a few months - almost exactly a month after Elena's due date to be exact.

It was a statement that still seemed ludicrous to Caroline. In her mind, Hope was still a baby, not at an age to be thinking about schools.

But think ahead she must, because however she looked at it, Hope was just too volatile to put her in a 'normal' school.

"You're going to home-school, right?"

Caroline jumped. "Jo! I didn't hear you come in."

Jo laughed, closing the office door behind her. "Obviously - you looked like you were in your own little world."

"Sorry," Caroline said, clearing her desk. "What brings you here?"

"Home schooling," Jo repeated. "You're going to."

"Not much choice really," Caroline said with sigh. "She's too powerful. All it's going to take is for one child to upset her and we're going to have a problem."

"Well, I've been thinking," Jo said, sitting down opposite her. "My girls are going to have the same problem when they start. Yes, okay, they need to siphon first, but there's a lot of magic in New Orleans; I wouldn't be surprised if they could siphon from the buildings themselves."

"Well, I'm happy to have them," Caroline said. "You know that."

"I know," Jo said, "but it's not just us, is it? The Salvatore kids are going to have to deal with parents that aren't ageing; Henrik's going to have the same problem as Hope; hell, the werewolves' kids are now in school, but you know what kids can be like - their parents live in camps out in the bayou; I can practically hear the letters home!"

"Well, what do you suggest?" Caroline asked. "We can't stop the kids from being supernatural, and we can't change the schools."

"Actually, Ric and I have been talking," Jo said. "We want to set up a school for kids with supernatural abilities. Not just witches, but werewolves and vampires too - and whatever else we find along the way. Anyone that needs it. But we can't do it alone."

"Count me in," Caroline said immediately. "I'm fairly sure Nik and the others have fingers in every pie imaginable; we can more than afford to help you out. I mean, we'll still have to home-school to start with - this is going to take at least a few years to set up. We'll need a building, of course, and staff and a curriculum, and …" she paused, fixing Jo with a serious look. "We need a committee."

* * *

And so a committee was formed, a melting pot of humans, witches, vampires and werewolves, all of whom were eager to see such a school get off the ground.

"Okay, I'm calling the September meeting of the Saltzman Academy Planning Committee to order," Caroline said, her voice cutting through the murmur of voices.

"You guys are practically funding this single-handedly," Ric pointed out.

"But it was your idea," Caroline said with a smile. "Besides, this is supposed to be a safe space for these kids, do you really want the Mikaelson name plastered all over it?"

"No, fair point," Ric said.

"Does anyone have any objections to the Saltzman Academy?" Caroline asked. "I thought about tacking on 'for the Young and Gifted' but that feels a bit too X-Men for my liking."

There was a murmur of agreement and Helena - Laura's mother - shook her head. "If I'm honest, Caroline, I don't care what you call it; it's just a brilliant idea."

"Brilliant," Caroline said with a smile. "First things first, we need to find a place for it."

"I found somewhere just outside of town," Jo admitted. "It's this huge old manor house, plenty of space, enough distance from town that any strange events hopefully won't be noticed. I mean, it's not perfect; it's pretty run down and it would need a lot of renovation, but I'm sure we could manage. Only problem is that it's not for sale."

"Everything's for sale," Rebekah told her with a smirk. "You just have to find the right price. I can do that."

"Thanks, Bex," Caroline said. "It does sound like a great option. I mean, we could donate the plantation house but it's in the middle of a swamp, which is not ideal."

Jo's phone beeped and she grabbed it. "Sorry, that's Bonnie. Bonnie, what's up? What? Alright, just hang tight, okay?" She looked at Caroline. "We need to get to Mystic Falls. It's Elena."

* * *

While Caroline was presiding over a committee meeting, up in Mystic Falls, Elena was having a catch-up with Bonnie.

Not that they had much to catch up on - Bonnie had been over almost every other day recently. She said it was to monitor Elena's pregnancy, but Elena wasn't convinced that it wasn't to see their new house-guest.

As if on cue, ten minutes after Bonnie's arrival, Enzo stuck his head around the living room door.

"Elena, I'm making some coffee; would you like some?"

"Decaf please," Elena answered with a smile. "Bonnie?"

"Ah, Bonnie, I didn't see you there," Enzo said, stepping further inside with a smile. "What can I get you?"

"I don't suppose that coffee machine makes a latte?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm sure I can make that happen," Enzo said with a wink.

As he left, Bonnie's phone beeped and she checked it to find a text from Elena. _Hottie staring at you._

"We are not seventeen anymore," Bonnie protested in a whisper.

Elena sniggered. "You're blushing."

"I am not … Okay, maybe I am," Bonnie conceded. "Look, he's … He's a nice guy, okay?"

"He reminds me of Damon," Elena said mildly.

"Damon without the asshole streak," Bonnie said. "Although he hasn't been as bad since Katherine came back."

"It's almost like turning your humanity off is bad for your personality," Elena said as Enzo returned with a tray.

"You've become a lot more sarcastic since you got pregnant," Bonnie said, taking the offered mug. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Elena echoed. "Are those chocolate sprinkles?"

"No coffee, no alcohol." Enzo shrugged. "Chocolate makes everything better."

"Bless you," Elena said. "I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to the day I can have a drink."

"Six weeks," Bonnie said kindly. "You're nearly there."

"I know," Elena said with a sigh. "Anyway, you were saying …?"

"I was?" Bonnie asked.

"Before Enzo took our coffee orders," Elena prompted.

"Oh, yes, I was saying I was thinking of going travelling after college," Bonnie said. "Just for a few months, see more of the world."

"Where are you thinking of going?" Enzo asked.

"I'm thinking Europe," Bonnie answered. "It feels like a good starting point."

"Certainly," Enzo agreed. "If you haven't travelled much before, it's better to start somewhere that isn't a thousand miles away culturally from what you're used to."

Elena allowed the conversation to wash over her, trying to decide if Bonnie and Enzo would actually go anywhere and if she could manage to text Caroline about it without Bonnie noticing.

"I was looking into …" Bonnie trailed off, her eyes focusing on Elena. "Elena, are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Elena said, grimacing in a way that belied her words. "Just uncomfortable and … and a bit nauseas."

"Was the chocolate a bad idea?" Enzo asked, sounding concerned.

"No, that was lovely." Elena set her mug to one side. "I'm going to get a glass of water; might help."

"I can fetch that for you," Enzo offered.

Elena smiled weakly. "Thank you, but I think I need to move; the babies don't like it if I sit still for too long."

Bonnie watched her leave the room, a worried frown on her face. "She's eaten today, hasn't she?"

"Damon made breakfast before he and Stefan left to get blood bags," Enzo confirmed. "And she had a couple of bags this morning, so she should be fine."

"Good, at least it's not that," Bonnie said. "Yes, so I was looking into this company that does historical tours of European cities."

"Love, if you want historical tours, I'll go with you," Enzo offered. "I probably know more than the tour guides anyway."

"Well, you probably lived it," Bonnie said, "so I believe that." She winced as a glass shattered in the kitchen. "I swear, pregnancy has brought out the clumsy in her."

Enzo chuckled. "You sure you don't want a hand, Elena?"

Elena didn't answer.

"Elena?" Enzo called again.

When there was still no response, Bonnie set her own mug aside. "I'm going to go and check on her."

At first sight, the kitchen was empty and Bonnie wondered if maybe Elena had gone outside to dispose of the broken glass. "Elena?" She called, rounding the island. "Are you … Shit!"

Enzo came running at that, materialising by her side, only to curse himself at the sight of Elena's lifeless body slumped on the ground, surrounded by broken glass.

"Get her upstairs," Bonnie said, pulling out her phone. "I'm calling Jo."


	16. Chapter 16

_"Okay, Bonnie - Caroline's going to figure out a way of getting me and Sophie to you."_

Following Enzo upstairs, Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jo - I am way out of my league."

_"Right, first things first - vital signs, how are they?"_

"Normal for a vampire," Bonnie said, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the nightstand of the spare room Elena had been moved to. "She's breathing, and her heartbeat is as it should be."

"She was complaining of discomfort and nausea beforehand," Enzo added in the direction of the phone. "But then she's been complaining of that since I got here."

Jo chuckled a little humourlessly. _"Yes, that is a rather common problem. I assume you're Damon's friend? Enzo?"_

"Yes ma'am."

_"In which case,_" Jo said, _"you should be able to hear the babies' heartbeats. They will be a little faster than a regular human heartbeat, but other than that, they should clear and concise."_

Enzo was silent for a few minutes, while Bonnie fidgeted with concern, holding Elena's hand. She had half-expected her skin to feel feverish and clammy, but it was quite the opposite - dry and almost ice-cold.

"One of them sounds fine," Enzo said, a note of concern in his voice. "The other one doesn't - it's quieter and a lot slower than the other one."

_"Okay, I have a theory,"_ Jo said, apparently slipping back into to doctor-mode that Bonnie wished she could emulate at times like these. _"I need to examine her to be sure. Try and get some blood into her - if Katherine's nearby, hers would actually be a really good idea; it's practically a blood transfusion in their case. Freya's going to use an old spell to transport me and Sophie to you, but the energy it requires will cause her to pass out."_

"Got it," Bonnie said, as Enzo returned with a blood bag. "Katherine's out baby-shopping but she could be back soon."

"Texted her," Enzo said shortly, coaxing the blood down Elena's throat.

As if she had heard him, the front door slammed.

"Elena?!"

"Up here," Bonnie called. "She's still out. Jo, Sophie and Freya are on their way," she added as Katherine joined them. "Jo said your blood might help."

Katherine was moving before Bonnie had finished speaking, biting into her wrist and pressing it into Elena's mouth. "You don't get to drop on us, Elena."

There was a crackle of magic in the air, and three witches appeared in front of them, Freya immediately crumpling. Enzo caught her before she could hit the ground and moved her out of the way to a chair, so Jo and Sophie had room to work.

"You're right," Sophie said to Jo, pressing her hands against Elena's stomach. "Unfortunately."

"Right about what?" Katherine asked.

"One of the babies has turned around," Sophie answered. "It's meant to happen - they really should be head down for delivery. Unfortunately, the cord has wrapped around her neck, which means she can't breathe. Although I don't know why that's caused Elena to pass out. Generally, the mother wouldn't notice, aside from a possible decrease in movement."

Jo was holding Elena's hand, murmuring something under her breath. "I might know," she said after a few moments. "There is a spell that can increase the amount of energy the baby is receiving through the umbilical cord. I wouldn't use it in this case, not just because there are two babies, but because Elena's a vampire, her energy is not necessarily renewable in the way a human's is, because she doesn't create her own blood cells."

"So it would cause Elena to pass out," Bonnie said. "But I haven't done anything."

"No," Jo agreed. "No, this magic is something more inherent - I think it's the baby."

"Hang on," Katherine protested. "There's no magic in the Petrova line aside from the doppelganger curse."

"No time to debate it," Jo said. "We need to deliver the babies or Elena's energy will keep being drained until she desiccates, and if that happens, we'll lose both babies."

"How long do we have?" Katherine asked.

Jo lifted Elena's hand, so they could see the grey dead skin around her fingertips. "We're already out of time."

"Do you need anything?" Enzo asked.

"Hot water and towels please," Sophie answered, setting herself up at the foot of the bed. "And can you please move Freya downstairs?"

"Ready?" Jo asked, once Enzo had provided the requested material and then removed both Freya and himself out of the room.

Sophie nodded, and the two witches began chanting.

Whatever the spell was, it brought Elena round with a scream of agony.

"I don't remember that much pain," Katherine said hastily, gripping Elena's hand. "What happened?"

"We just induced her to the point of birth in the space of thirty seconds," Jo said. "Usually you get at least a few hours to deal with it."

The Camaro roared outside and Bonnie groaned. "That's all we need. Katherine, you need to go."

"Absolutely not," Katherine said sharply.

"We do not need the two of them in the room," Bonnie pointed out gently. "And you can deal with them better than I can. Enzo is going to need help."

Katherine sighed. "I hate it when you make sense. She's going to break your hand."

"I can deal with it," Bonnie said, swapping places with her. "Good luck."

Katherine nodded, blurring out of the room to catch the brothers at the front door.

"No time to burn sage, I guess," Bonnie said, taking Elena's hand.

"They'll have to deal with it," Sophie said. "Elena, honey, I need you to start pushing."

"Bonnie …"

Elena's eyes were glazed with confusion, and Bonnie's heart went out to her. "The babies are in trouble, sweetie; we need the babies to be born now."

"Oh, okay." Elena blinked a few times, flexing her fingers. "I can't feel my hands."

"I know," Bonnie said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Let's get these babies out, and then everything should go back to normal."

"Elena," Jo said gently. "Elena, look at me."

Elena's eyes snapped to hers and Jo smiled. "It's alright, Elena. Time to start pushing, okay?"

* * *

Downstairs, Katherine grimaced at the scream that echoed down. "Okay, that one sounds familiar."

"Something's wrong," Damon said, white-faced. "There must be something wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Katherine said. "She's giving birth. It hurts. I really shouldn't need to tell you that."

"Yeah, but is it meant to hurt that much?" Damon asked.

Katherine smiled sweetly. "Tell you what - when you pass a whole cantaloupe, you can comment on the possible pain of childbirth."

"And both babies are okay?" Stefan asked.

"They both had heartbeats when I left," Katherine said, her eyes fixed on the top of the stairs. "So they should be."

At the tail end of the next scream, a baby's cries floated down towards them and Katherine jolted to her feet without thinking.

"You go," Enzo said. "Stefan, Damon and I are going to have a drink."

"But …" Damon began.

"Do you want to see that?" Enzo asked.

Damon faltered. "No. No, I don't."

"Right," Enzo agreed. "So sit down, have a drink and let Katherine go and help."

Katherine spared him a smile and hurried upstairs.

There were two babies crying now, much to her relief, and she tapped on the door before letting herself in. "Is everything okay?"

"Everyone is absolutely perfect," Jo said with a smile. "Elena was amazing."

"Bonnie said I had another six weeks," Elena said tiredly. "I'm not happy about that."

"Well, in my defence, this little one had other ideas," Bonnie said, gently rocking the baby in her arms. "Can you tell the difference between them?"

Elena adjusted the blankets of the baby in her arms. "Um … I'm not sure. This one doesn't feel like mine. But what if that's because I'm just not a good mom?"

"Oh, for goodness sake," Katherine said, coming to sit on Elena's other side. "They are literally only a few minutes old, Elena; you can't expect …"

Her words trailed off as she finally saw the baby Elena was holding, still red and wrinkly and looking more like an alien than a human.

But …

"Oh my God …" Katherine reached out to touch her face and the baby girl turned her head a little, her eyes blinking open to reveal …

"Well, that clinches it," Elena said. "She's got Damon's eyes. I think this one's yours."

"I think she might be," Katherine agreed, a little unevenly, taking the baby into her arms. "Hi baby girl. I hope it wasn't you causing Auntie Elena all that trouble."

"No, we got her out first," Sophie said. "Your little one was born second."

"So it's your fault," Elena said with a weak smile to the baby Bonnie was holding. "Alright, let's have a look at you."

Bonnie placed the second baby in Elena's arms and Elena sucked in a breath. "Holy …"

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"I wasn't expecting it to feel any different," Elena whispered, gazing at her daughter's face. "But … This is my baby."

"I'll go and get some bottles," Sophie offered, "and let the boys know."

"Enzo got them to sit down and have a drink," Katherine said, with a smirk in Bonnie's direction. "I tell you - any man that can keep calm faced with the chaos of childbirth is a keeper."

"Very funny," Bonnie grumbled.

Damon and Stefan arrived a second later, coming to a halt just inside the room.

"It's okay," Elena said, smiling. "None of us are going to break."

"So what happened?" Stefan asked, rounding the bed to kiss her. "Katherine kind of explained it, but I can't work out how you ended up losing energy."

"Well that's the interesting part," Bonnie said with a smile. "I can tell you right now that you are the proud parents of two healthy witches."

"She gets it from you," Katherine told Damon. "We don't have any witches in the Petrova line."

"Well, there aren't any in the Salvatore line," Damon said. "Father did have descendants other than us - not a witch among them."

"Well, your mother didn't," Katherine said. "And if I was a witch and was married to your father, I wouldn't have said a word about it either."

"You may have a point," Damon said, peering into the bundle in her arms. "She's a lot more wrinkly than I thought she would be."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Once she dries out, she'll look like a proper baby, I promise."

"Do they have names?" Bonnie asked. "Also, Caroline's been texting me every two minutes for news."

"I think you can tell her," Katherine said with a smile. "This is Ariana Maria."

Elena and Stefan exchanged a glance and he nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I think we should."

"We still hadn't quite decided," Elena admitted. "But I think you're right. This is Jenna. Jenna Alexia May."

* * *

**AN: I know some people were hoping for boys. But I may have mentioned that this part of the story came about due to one scene in the next story, and for that scene I needed Elena's child to be a girl. And if Elena's child is a girl, then Katherine's had to be as well.**


	17. Chapter 17

**So this was initially a footnote in the next chapter (which is the epilogue of this story) but it deserved a chapter of its own. **

**This chapter takes place about four years after the last chapter.**

* * *

Shopping for a child's birthday party could be difficult. Shopping for two could be even worse.

So for Ariana and Jenna's fourth birthday, Rebekah put aside a whole day and went out by herself, scouring the Quarter for suitable gifts.

Elena and Katherine's daughters were turning out to be exactly as people had expected - one quiet and reserved, one outgoing and loud - except it was Ariana who was the wallflower, and Jenna who was the life of the party.

Elena insisted that she had been like that, before her parents died, but Rebekah couldn't see it.

Still empty-handed, she took a break in the park for lunch, snagging a hot dog from one of the vendors, even though she didn't really need it.

She sat on a bench beside the playground, stretching her legs out to catch the sun peeking out behind the clouds in the temporary break in the rains.

"Excuse me?"

Rebekah glanced up at the woman hovering beside the bench. "Yes?"

"I think your daughter's upset."

Rebekah frowned. "I don't have a daughter."

"You don't know her?"

Rebekah followed the woman's pointed finger and her eyes landed on a pale girl with a shock of red hair, almost hidden beneath the jungle gym, her face buried in her knees. "No. Doesn't anyone else?"

"No, we all know each other," the woman said, gesturing to the other parents. "I know all the other kids. I just assumed she was yours."

"No, I was just stopping for lunch." Rebekah balled up the hot dog wrapped and got to her feet, catching the woman's gaze. "Don't worry about it - I'll take care of her."

The woman nodded, eyes glazed a little, and Rebekah made her way over to the child, kneeling on the sand beside her.

"Hi sweetheart."

The girl peeked up from her arms.

Rebekah smiled. "Where's your mom?"

The girl shrugged.

"What's your name?" Rebekah asked. "I'm Rebekah," she added when the girl hesitated.

"Mariella," she mumbled.

"That's a pretty name," Rebekah said, scanning the girl for any injuries. She couldn't see any, but her shirt was loose, and her arms and legs were painfully thin. "When was the last time you ate, Mariella?"

"Tuesday," she answered.

Rebekah winced. It was Friday. "Would you like a hot dog?"

Mariella's eyes lit up, but she shook her head. "No thank you."

"Mariella, you need to eat something," Rebekah said gently, but firmly. "Where are your parents?"

"They don't want me," Mariella said suddenly. "I'm a monster."

Rebekah swallowed her initial reaction and touched her hand. "You don't look like a monster to me. How old are you?"

"Nine," Mariella mumbled.

"Almost the same age as my niece Hope," Rebekah said. "She's nine in December. Well, you look like a regular nine year old to me. What makes you a monster?"

Mariella sniffled. "I had an accident. I was playing in Mom's car and I pressed a button and the car started moving and it hit someone."

Rebekah closed her eyes. "Oh sweetheart … That's an accident."

"They died," Mariella said, a tear slipping down her cheek. "That makes me a murderer, Dad said."

"No, it doesn't," Rebekah said immediately. "It doesn't - it makes you a nine year old girl who had an accident."

Mariella burst into tears and Rebekah automatically wrapped her arms around the young girl, relieved when she relaxed into the embrace rather than fighting it.

"It's alright," she murmured. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat."

Mariella was so light that Rebekah probably didn't need vampire strength to pick her up, carrying her out of the park.

"Did you run away?"

"No," Mariella answered, resting her head on Rebekah's shoulder. "They made me leave. After the car, something strange happened."

"What happened?" Rebekah asked.

"I really, really hurt," Mariella said. "Mom said I looked like a monster."

Rebekah had a sinking feeling she knew what had happened, but she didn't say anything. Better to wait until she knew for sure.

Instead, she took Mariella home, letting herself into her apartment without meeting anyone else.

"Hi Bex," Matt greeted from their bedroom. "Did you get their presents?"

"No, got distracted," Rebekah answered, setting Mariella down. "Are you allergic to anything, honey?"

Mariella shook her head. "I don't think so. You don't have to …"

"I want to," Rebekah said, sending a quick text. "I've just asked a friend to come over and make sure you're okay, since you haven't eaten in so long."

"Who are you …?" Matt appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Hello."

"Matt, this is Mariella," Rebekah said. "We met in the park. Mariella, this is my husband, Matt."

"Hi," Mariella whispered.

There was a soft tap on the front door before it opened and closed. "Bex?"

"Kitchen," Rebekah called.

Davina slipped past Matt. "What's up?"

"Mariella hasn't eaten in a few days," Rebekah answered. "Can you make sure she's okay? Also she had an accident and it really, really hurt afterwards."

Davina's brow creased. "You're not thinking …?"

"I hope not," Rebekah said.

Davina nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Hi sweetie. I'm Davina, I'm Rebekah's sister-in-law. I can also do magic."

"Dad says there's no such thing as magic," Mariella said.

"Well, he sounds boring," Davina said, getting a tiny giggle in return. "Take my hand, and we'll see what's going on."

"Can you tell if I'm a monster?" Mariella asked.

Davina faltered, anger flashing in her eyes for a split-second. "You're not. I can tell that without magic." She curled her fingers around Mariella's and closed her eyes, murmuring a few words. "I think … your Mom and Dad … did they adopt you, honey?"

Mariella nodded. "My real parents didn't want me, so they were good enough to take me in."

It was such a rehearsed statement that Rebekah had to turn away to hide the fury on her face.

"That's not how adoption works, sweetheart," Davina said, her voice miraculously even. "Your birth parents can't look after you, so someone makes a choice to become your parents. That's what adoption is. But you inherited something from your birth parents that your adopted parents didn't know about."

"They know about the hair," Mariella said. "You can't do anything about it. Dad said that one of my birth parents must have been a really bad word that school says I shouldn't say."

"I don't mean your hair," Davina said. "And I think you've got beautiful hair. You're a werewolf, sweetheart. And your accident triggered that, so the next time the moon's full, you're going to turn into a wolf for the night. I'm really sorry."

"So I am a monster," Mariella whispered, her gaze dropping to her lap.

"No," Rebekah said immediately, abandoning her search through the refrigerator to sweep the girl into a hug. "You're not, darling, I promise. There are loads of werewolves in this city. They'll look after you."

"I don't want to go home," Mariella whispered. "They won't let me anyway."

Rebekah met Matt's eyes across the kitchen, and he nodded.

"Mariella," Rebekah said gently, "I can make them forget. You won't ever have to deal with them again. And then you can come and stay with us."

If she was worried at all about Mariella's reaction, she had no need to be.

"Really?" Mariella asked. The hope in her voice was painful to hear and Rebekah tightened her arms around her.

"Of course. I can't promise we'll be the perfect parents, but we will _never_ send you away. No matter what you do."  
"I'm not very good at tidying my room," Mariella said hesitantly.

"That's okay," Matt said with a smile. "Bekah's not very good at that either."

"So what do you say?" Rebekah asked, stroking her hair. "Want to give us a shot?"

Mariella nodded, a smile finally breaking onto her face. "I'd love to."

* * *

Rebekah arrived home that evening, with several large shopping bags, to find that Matt and Mariella had cleared out the spare bedroom and made up the bed.

"Oh dear," Matt said. "How did it go?"

Rebekah smiled. "Absolutely fine." She set the bags down and withdrew a sheaf of papers from inside her jacket. "They signed the forms and handed everything over."

"I really didn't have this much," Mariella said, looking around at the bags.

"I know, love," Rebekah said. "I was surprised, but I supposed I shouldn't have been." She nudged one of the bags. "It's all in here."

Mariella shrugged. "There's probably nothing. I'm fairly sure all I had was a Bible and a chess set."

"You play chess?" Matt asked.

"They never taught me," Mariella said. "Just made me play. I never took to it."

"Well, that makes no sense," Rebekah said. "Anyway, I figured that there had to be more than that, so I compelled them to make sure. And there was something else." She reached into the bag and pulled out a slightly worn teddy bear.

"I thought they threw that out," Mariella whispered. "I'd had it since I was born, but they took it away when I was four, because I was too old."

"You're never too old for a bear," Matt said firmly. "Hope still has a rabbit she was given when she was born."

"Hell will freeze over before Hope gives that up," Rebekah said. "They told me that you came with this little guy, so I'm guessing your birth mother gave it to you."

Mariella took the bear and hugged it close. "Thank you. So they don't remember me?"

"Well, I thought about that," Rebekah admitted. "The problem with compulsion is that it can break if you start questioning it. And I figured other people must have known about you. So I compelled them to forget about anything strange and to think that you went back to your birth parents. They're not going to question it and they're not going to go looking for you."

"So what's in the rest of the bags, Bex?" Matt asked.

"Well, dealing with them made my blood boil," Rebekah said. "So I went for a bit of retail therapy."

"Did you at least get Ariana and Jenna's presents?" Matt asked.

"I did," Rebekah said. "We got Ariana a set of easy-reader books, and we got Jenna a board game that looked quite fun."

"So what's in the rest of the bags?" Mariella asked curiously. "Also who are Ariana and Jenna?"

"Our friends' children," Rebekah answered. "They turn four in a few weeks. And the rest of the bags are for you."

"For me?" Mariella repeated.

Rebekah smiled. "Well, I was assuming that your former guardians would have clothes and things for you; we can't keep you in that."

Mariella looked down at her shirt and jeans. "Why not?"

Rebekah faltered, but Matt jumped in. "Because you deserve to have more than one outfit. Rebekah …"

"I didn't get too much," Rebekah said. "Just the basics. I wasn't sure of your favourite colour, so I just guessed."

"I don't really have one," Mariella said. "You didn't have to do that."

Rebekah and Matt exchanged a glance, and Matt nodded. "I thought that when I was younger."

Mariella looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"My dad left when I was a baby," Matt said gently. "My mom was … She didn't handle it well. She was in and out all the time. Left my older sister to look after me most of the time, and she wasn't that much older. My mom's school-friends would always try and help. They'd buy us new clothes, and make sure we had our school supplies, and … I always felt bad."

"Why did they do it?" Mariella asked.

Matt smiled sadly. "Because my mom wasn't. When you have a child, you take on the responsibility of looking after that child. That means feeding them, and clothing them, and making sure they're happy, and making sure they grow up to be good, well-rounded people. And if they can't do that, they make sure someone else will."

"Like my birth parents," Mariella whispered.

Matt nodded. "When your former guardians adopted you, they made a promise to raise you and look after you like you were their own daughter. They let you down, Mariella. By the sound of it, they weren't short of money - you deserved more than what they gave you. And I know it's going to take you a while to believe that. But we aren't going anywhere."

"So … what do I call you?" Mariella asked.

"Whatever you feel comfortable calling us," Rebekah said immediately. "If you want to call us Mom and Dad, you can; if you'd rather call us something else, we won't be offended."

A bell rang somewhere in the building.

"Oh yeah," Matt said. "Caroline texted; they're doing a family dinner tonight."

"Did Sophie actually get a gong put in?" Rebekah asked, a smile lurking around her face.

"No, she found an old hand bell at the antique store the other day," Matt answered.

"What was Sophie doing at an antique store?" Rebekah asked.

Matt smirked. "Elijah was walking her home from work."

"She literally works round the corner," Rebekah said. "There isn't an antique store between here and Rousseau's."

"The excuses are getting worse," Matt said. "What do you say, kiddo? Up to meeting the rest of the family?"

* * *

Thankfully, Davina had clearly talked to the rest of the family, and Rebekah's siblings were on their best behaviour at dinner.

At first, Mariella was painfully quiet, clearly terrified of doing or saying the wrong thing, and Rebekah was just starting to wonder if maybe they'd made a mistake in introducing everyone at once, when a spoonful of mashed potato hit Kol in the forehead.

"Hope!" Caroline chided.

Hope grinned. "I owed him. He turned me pink today."

"You turned yourself pink, darling," Kol said, wiping his face clean.

"You told me it would make me fly," Hope said. "And you didn't give me the counter-spell for two hours."

"Kol!" Davina said.

"Awesome!" Henrik cried, giving his father a high five.

"Don't you get involved, young man," Davina said.

"Sorry Mom," Henrik said automatically.

Rebekah caught his eye as Davina looked away, and shook her head. He put his spoon down, just as a number of peas rained down on Hope - and Rebekah, who was sitting next to her.

"Henrik!" Davina protested.

"Wrong one, Davina," Rebekah said, narrowing her eyes at her brother. "I was watching that one."

"Honestly, Kol, don't encourage them," Caroline sighed. "Rebekah, don't you dare."

"I worked very hard on this dinner," Sophie added. "House rules."

"Sorry," Kol and Hope said almost in unison.

"What are the house rules?" Mariella whispered.

"In this case," Rebekah said, "if you're going to start a food fight, you make the food for it."

"And you have to help clean up afterwards," Hope added.

"There are a few others," Rebekah said. "Some of them are witch-specific or vampire-specific, so you won't need to worry about them. We'll go through the others tomorrow; you've had a long day."

Mariella nodded. She didn't eat nearly as much as Rebekah would have liked, but then again the poor girl hadn't really eaten anything for a few days.

Little and often was probably a good idea.

Hope chattered away to Mariella throughout the meal, telling her about the Saltzman Academy that was being built, and the art classes she had with her dad, and the Saltzman twins.

The one thing everyone was avoiding was any mention of the full moon, which was in a week's time.

The thought of Mariella being forced through that at this age made Rebekah feel physically sick.

After dinner, once Matt had taken Mariella back upstairs, she slipped into the kitchen to box up some of the leftovers.

"Planning a midnight feast?" Caroline asked, carrying the last of the dishes in.

"Lunch was the first meal she'd had since Tuesday," Rebekah said quietly.

Caroline shook her head. "Davina filled us in; I just … How does one child get so unlucky?"

"Bad luck's got nothing to do with it," Rebekah muttered. "It's people who don't think before they let people adopt."

"I wasn't talking about her guardians," Caroline said. "I was talking about triggering the curse. The chances of her managing to knock the handbrake off is slim by itself. The chances of someone being behind the car _and_ dying from a crash at such a low speed … That's bad luck."

Rebekah was silent for a few minutes. "I hate magic sometimes" she said finally, in a low voice. "I hate that she has to go through that. And I can't even be with her."

Caroline hesitated. "I'll go."

"Caroline …"

"I'll go," Caroline repeated, more firmly this time. "I've got hybrid abilities. I know Jackson and Aiden would look after her, and I also know that she's not likely to build up that much confidence that quickly. I've already seen the transformation; I know what to expect."

Rebekah hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

Caroline rubbed her back. "As I said to Elena - Welcome to motherhood. It sucks. You're gonna love it."

Rebekah sniffled. "When Matt and I talked about adoption … I hadn't thought about what it meant really. For her, I mean. For me to be a mother …"

"What happened to her was not your fault, Rebekah," Caroline said. "You can be angry for her. Just … don't let her see it."

Rebekah took a deep breath. "I know."

Bidding Caroline a good night, she took the leftovers upstairs to her apartment.

"She's getting into her pyjamas and brushing her teeth," Matt told her softly, in answer to her unasked question. "She says she doesn't need tucking in …"

"Need and want are two different things," Rebekah said, setting the leftovers in the fridge. "I'll go."

Matt nodded. "Can we do this?"

"Bit late to be asking," Rebekah said with a smile. "We're both a little broken too, Matt. Maybe we're the best people to put her back together."

She took a glass of water in with her to Mariella's room, since she had a feeling that the girl would lie thirsty all night rather than ask, or go and fetch one herself.

"All sorted?"

Mariella nodded shyly, settling down into bed in her new pyjamas. "They're really pretty, thank you."

Rebekah smiled. "You're welcome. I tend to err on the girly side when I buy clothes, so if that's not okay, I need you to tell me; I won't be upset."

Mariella hesitated, gnawing on her lower lip, and Rebekah waited, silently urging her to say it.

"Some … Some of it's a little too pink," she said finally.

"That's okay," Rebekah said easily. "Once you've settled in a bit, you and I will go shopping and you can pick some things out yourself."

"You're not mad?" Mariella asked.

"No, darling, I'm not." Rebekah sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I'll be honest with you, Mariella; Matt and I … we've never been parents. We won't be perfect. And we don't need you to be perfect - whatever you think that looks like."

"What happens if I break the rules?" Mariella asked quietly.

Rebekah thought for a moment. "Well, I think that would depend on the rule. If you didn't realise you were doing it, or you'd done it for a good reason, that would change things. Probably a grounding. It might actually work with you; Hope just magics her way out."

Mariella let out a giggle. "Doesn't that get her in more trouble?"

Rebekah laughed. "Well, there's normally a spell in place, so if she can get round it, I think that earns her extra credit." She squeezed Mariella's hand. "The one thing we will never do is use physical punishment, Mariella. Neither of us agree with that. I promise." She stood up, seeing Mariella stifle a yawn. "Get some sleep; it's been a long day."

Mariella nodded, her eyes already drifting shut. "Night."

Rebekah bent down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart; sweet dreams."


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: So here we are, the last chapter. I feel like I should apologise for what I'm about to do. Trigger warning for terminal illness.**

* * *

The year was 2023.

Since Mariella's adoption eighteen months ago, there had been no more big surprises in Caroline's family, unless you counted Freya and Keelin tying the knot - and everyone had seen that coming a mile away.

The Saltzman Academy was due to open in September, a few months before Hope's eleventh birthday, and she was so ready for it.

The Mikaelsons had ended up bankrolling the school entirely - Caroline had wanted to ensure that any student who needed the school could access it, without having to worry about any kind of tuition.

All in all, Caroline was exceptionally happy with the way her life had turned out.

And then, in March, everything fell apart.

Caroline was in her office, looking over the last bits of paperwork for the school, when her phone rang.

"Jo, aren't you supposed to be at work?" She asked, by way of greeting.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, broken only by a sniffle, and Caroline frowned.

"Jo? Is everything okay?"

_"I … No. Can you … Can you come to the hospital please? I'm in Keelin's office, I … I really need someone here."_

When Caroline arrived, she found Jo on the couch, sobbing into her hands. "What's happened?" She asked urgently, pushing the door closed behind her. "Keelin?"

Her sister-in-law gave her a sad smile. "You know I can't answer that."

"You can," Jo said in a muffled voice. "I can't … I can't …"

Caroline sat down, wrapping an arm around her. "Jo, what's wrong? Is it the girls? Is one of them sick?"

"Not the girls, no," Keelin said. "Jo had a scan done, because of the headaches she's been getting recently. They've found a tumour."

Caroline's blood ran cold. "On the brain?"

Keelin nodded.

"Okay, so what now?" Caroline asked. "Chemo? Surgery? Do you need me to take the girls for a bit? Scratch that, do you need me to come and stay with you, because I can do that."

"It's inoperable," Jo said, finally lifting her head. "They can't do anything, Caroline. Chemo would give me another week, maybe, and that …" she took a shaky breath. "That wouldn't be worth it."

"So …" Caroline stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "So how long …?"

"Six months," Jo whispered.

Logically, Caroline knew that she had friends and family that were human and that they wouldn't live forever. But she had thought that she had at least another decade or two before she had to begin dealing with that.

It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"No, that can't …" Caroline sucked in a breath. "I can give you blood, would that …?"

"It won't work," Keelin said gently. "There are some things vampire blood can't heal, Caroline. Cancer and tumours are two of them. I've done enough tests to be sure."

"Freya will find something," Caroline said firmly. "She will."

Jo gave her a watery smile. "I hope so. I can't … Ric can't do this again."

* * *

Time can be a strange thing, the way it drags on and on when you are waiting for something wonderful, and yet flies by when something unpleasant looms.

As the months passed, Jo became sicker and weaker, and Freya became quieter and quieter.

Finally, after four months, Freya gave them the news that no one wanted to hear - not even magic could fix what was going on in Jo's head.

"Well, I guess that's it," Jo said, her voice deceptively calm. "I'd better tell the girls."

Caroline winced. "Are you sure?"

"I'd rather they know," Jo said with a sigh. "I'd rather prepare them and be able to say goodbye than have it come as a horrible shock and leave them with questions. Not everyone gets a chance to do that, I suppose."

"No," Caroline agreed. "So that's something."

"I was thinking of recording some videos for them," Jo said. "Things for them to watch at different times of their lives - do you mind keeping hold of them for me?"

Caroline nodded. "Of course; anything I can do to make it easier. That sounds like a lovely idea."

Jo sighed. "I just keep thinking … How does one man get this unlucky?"

Caroline probably shouldn't have been surprised that all of Jo's concern was about her husband and daughters, rather than herself. "Jo … I'm sure you've already thought this, but … Have you considered … becoming a vampire?"

Jo smiled sadly. "I have. I can't." She took Caroline's hands. "I know why you're asking, and I appreciate it, I do. It probably sounds awful to you, being a mother, but for a witch to become a vampire, lose their magic … it would be like losing a part of my soul. It's taken Kol a thousand years to level out."

"I guess he's not the exception," Caroline said sadly.

Jo shook her head. "I don't know the statistics, but I'm willing to bet a good proportion of witches who make the transition end up as Rippers. They'd still lose me, but to the bloodlust rather than death and … That would be even worse, Caroline."

* * *

As spring moved into summer, the Salvatores came to stay in New Orleans, and Jo's siblings moved in with her and Ric to be nearby.

Finally, one bright August morning, Caroline got the call she had been dreading.

"How is she?" She asked Ric as he ushered them inside the house.

"Surprisingly upbeat for someone who woke up and announced she was going to die today," Ric said, his voice hoarse.

Caroline gave him a hug. "Where is she?"

"Still in bed," Ric said. "Keelin's with her."

In the last few weeks, getting up and down the stairs had become a real chore, and Ric had moved their bed down into the dining room so that Jo didn't have to make the trip.

Everyone was already gathered in the living room. Hope immediately headed for Lizzie and Josie, who were sitting with Elena and Jeremy.

Caroline hugged Stefan. "Where are the girls?"

"Katherine said her goodbyes and took them out for lunch," he answered wearily. "We didn't really want the girls to … you know."

Caroline did know. If she thought for one second that Hope would leave, she'd ask her to.

After a few minutes, Keelin emerged with a tired expression on her face. "She doesn't have long left," she said quietly. "So I'd get ready to say your goodbyes. Girls, she wants to talk to you."

Lizzie rose to her feet, but Josie stayed rooted to the spot, tears coursing down her face as she shook her head. "I can't …"

Elena squeezed her hand. "You'll regret it if you don't, Josie."

"She doesn't look bad," Keelin said gently. "It's okay."

Lizzie held out a hand to her sister; after a split-second, Josie took it, and the twins made their way to where their mother was on her deathbed.

Jo smiled when she saw them - a tired smile, but a smile nonetheless. "My beautiful girls."

"I don't want you to go," Josie whispered.

"Oh, Josette …" Jo reached out a hand to her daughter. "I don't want to go either. I don't have much of a choice in the matter, so I need you to listen to me, okay?"

The two sisters exchanged a glance, and Lizzie released Josie to round the bed and sit down on Jo's other side.

Jo took both of their hands. "I love you both so much and I am so proud of you. I'm going to need you to go easy on your dad, partly because he's going to be struggling too, and partly because he's just really bad at dealing with girl stuff."

Despite the situation, Lizzie couldn't help giggling, and Jo squeezed her hand.

"And I want you to smile," she whispered. "One day, you'll be able to smile again, and laugh, and that's okay. And in the meantime, you're going to be sad, and maybe angry, but that's okay too."

"Mom …" Josie began.

"I know," Jo said, releasing her hand to wipe some of the tears from her face. "If you need to talk to a mom, go to Caroline, okay? I won't be upset. Like I said, your dad will need all the help he can get." She sighed. "Look after each other. Lizzie - you have such a big heart; it's okay to let people see it. And remember to listen to what people don't say, not just what they do."

Lizzie nodded, leaning down so her mother could kiss her.

"And Josie … use your voice. You have a lot to say, but you need to let people hear it."

"I will," Josie whispered. "I don't know how to say goodbye."

"Come here." Jo gathered her girls up in a hug, the way she used to when they were smaller. "I love you both. Be good. Don't say goodbye. I'm not really going anywhere. I'll always be watching over you, okay? Do you want to get everyone else?"

"I can't watch," Josie blurted out.

"It's okay, sweetheart, I'm not going to ask you too," Jo said. "I don't want you to watch either."

Lizzie gave her mother one last hug and made her way to the door. "Jo?"

Josie hesitated.

Jo smiled at her. "It's okay, Josie."

Finally, Josie nodded, kissing her mother's cheek. "Love you Mom."

"Love you," Lizzie echoed, taking Josie's hand once again.

When they returned to the living room, their father was pacing. "Is she …?"

"She's still there," Lizzie said. "She wants everyone else. We can't … I can't …"

"Well, you can't be out here on your own while that happens," Caroline said firmly. "I'll sit with you."

"Go in now then," Ric said. "You deserve a goodbye."

Hope hopped to her feet and took her mother's hand. "I don't want to see it either."

When Caroline and Hope entered, Jo looked a little concerned. "I can't see all of you in turn; I don't think I've got the time."

"Sorry, do you have an appointment you need to keep?" Caroline said with a smile.

"Mom!" Hope protested in a whisper.

Jo laughed weakly. "It's alright, Hope. I'm dying. We can't get away from that. All I can do is try and keep smiling."

"We're going to sit with the girls," Caroline explained, coming to perch on the mattress. "They shouldn't be on their own."

Jo squeezed her hand. "Thank you. Actually, I'm glad. I have a couple of last requests for you."

Caroline took a shaky breath. "Okay?"

"First things first." Jo turned to Hope. "Hope, thank you for looking after my girls these last few months; I know they haven't been easy."

Hope shrugged. "Lizzie's never easy. At least I knew why this time."

Jo smiled. "That's true. Either way, you are such a good friend to them. Something tells me they're not going to get any easier, so just … Please bear with them?"

Hope nodded, then suddenly hugged her. "I'm going to miss you."

"I know," Jo said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Just promise me you won't try any resurrections."

"Why?" Hope asked innocently. "I could probably do it."

"You probably could," Jo agreed.

"Don't encourage her," Caroline murmured.

Jo smiled sadly. "The thing is, Hope, even if you could, I'd still have the tumour. So you'd bring me back for a couple of days and then we'd have to do this all over again."

Hope sighed. "I get it. I promise."

Jo gave her one last squeeze. "Good girl. Can you give me a minute with your mom?" She waited for Hope to leave. "You've worked wonders, Caroline."

Caroline smiled sadly. "So have you. The girls … I think without them, Hope could so easily have grown up spoilt. They've been as good for her as she's been for them. Now what can I do for you?"

"You probably know," Jo admitted. "But I want to say it. First of all, we both know how teenage girls can be. Josie and Lizzie are reaching the age when they'll need a mother probably more than they need a father, so I need you to be there when they need mom-help."

"Of course," Caroline said immediately. "You don't need to ask."

"I know," Jo said. "Second of all, please make sure Ric doesn't fall down the rabbit-hole again. When I met him, he was still grieving Jenna and he was a mess; please try and keep him out of that state."

"He's got the girls this time," Caroline said. "They're much less self-sufficient than Jeremy and Elena were."

"Maybe," Jo said. "But when he starts thinking about dating again - if he does - please give him a push and … try and make sure it's someone who won't die on him this time?"

Caroline gave a watery laugh. "I'll do my best."

"And lastly," Jo said, "and this is probably the hardest one. I want a balloon bouquet at my funeral."

Caroline blinked. "Sorry - what?"

"A balloon bouquet," Jo repeated. "At my funeral."

"Yes, I thought that's what you said," Caroline said. "Jo - I don't think they _do_ balloons for funerals."

"It doesn't have to say anything," Jo said. "I just … Please make it happen? And …" With difficulty, she reached over to the unit Ric had placed in lieu of a bedside cabinet.

Caroline jumped to her feet. "What do you need?"

"Top drawer," Jo said, conceding. "There's an envelope."

Caroline found it easily, but … "It's not addressed to anyone."

"I know," Jo said. "I need you to put it in one of the balloons."

"What does it say?" Caroline asked.

Jo smiled at her. "Doesn't matter. Please do that for me?"

Caroline sighed. "Alright. Everyone's going to think I'm mad, but alright."

"Thank you." Jo drew in a shaky breath. "I need … I need you to get the others."

"Of course." Caroline bent down to hug her. "Not too late for the vampire thing, you know."

Jo sniffled. "I'm going to miss you."

"Hey, you'll still be watching over us," Caroline said, wiping away a tear. "We'll be the ones missing you. Okay, if I don't do this now, I never will. I love you and thank you."

Jo squeezed her hand. "You've been one of the best friends I've ever had, Caroline. Thank you."

Caroline kissed her forehead and hurried from the room before she could start crying. "Okay, you need to go in now," she said, giving Ric a hug as she passed.

Josie and Lizzie were sitting either side of Hope, leaning against her. When Caroline sat down, Josie switched over, cuddling into Caroline and beginning to cry into her shoulder.

Caroline held her tightly, but didn't say anything - what could she say? Lizzie was a daddy's girl - she would probably be okay - but Josie was her mother's daughter through and through.

Everyone else filed into the makeshift bedroom, gathering around for a final goodbye. Ric came to sit beside his wife and she took his hand.

"Okay, everyone, talk amongst yourselves for a second," Jo said, with an attempt at a smile. "I want you to promise me," she added, in an undertone, "that you will try and move on eventually."

"Jo …" Ric began.

"I'm not asking you to promise me you will," she said. "Just that you'll try."

Ric sighed. "Aright, I promise I'll try."

"Thank you." Jo tugged on his hand and he bent down to kiss her. "I love you." Her eyes travelled around the room. "I love all of you. Just … make sure the school still opens."

"It's only a few weeks …" Ric began.

"I don't care," Jo said. "There are kids counting on it. Promise me."

"We promise," Elena said, sniffling, gripping Jeremy's hand. "Even if we need to stay and help, we'll make sure it opens."

Jo smiled at them. "My oldest kids," she said fondly. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you too."

"Not your fault," Jeremy said thickly. "At least we've got warning this time."

"I know." Jo's voice was beginning to slur a little. "Look after them."

No one was quite sure who this request was aimed at, but everyone murmured some kind of agreement.

Her eyes closed.

For a few seconds there was silence, then Elena choked back a sob. "Keelin?"

Keelin moved forwards and bent over the bed with a stethoscope. After a few minutes, she looked up, meeting Ric's gaze. "She's gone."

* * *

The funeral took place two days later.

The request for balloons had taken Caroline entirely by surprise, and it took her a while to find somewhere willing and able to fulfil such a request.

However, she managed it in the end, and the mourners arrived at the cemetery to find a bouquet of black balloons at the gravesite.

"What's with the balloons?" Josie asked, her eyes red with tears.

It was the first words she had said all day, and Caroline squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It was your mother's last wish. I had to honour it."

Josie relaxed a little against her. "Why balloons?"

"I have no idea," Caroline admitted.

Behind them, Kai made a rather interesting noise as he arrived. "What the … She asked for them, didn't she?"

"Yes," Caroline said, turning to him. "I don't suppose you know why."

Kai didn't answer, but Luke did, starting to smile despite himself. "Kai has a … problem with balloons. A phobia, if you will. I'm willing to bet that's why."

Lizzie managed a small smile at this, and Caroline bit back her own giggle. Of course, Jo would have done something to get her children smiling again, even at her funeral.

Father O'Connell stepped forwards and everyone fell silent as he began the service.

Caroline found herself tuning out most of it, her gaze wondering instead to Alaric and his daughters.

At least this loss had been somewhat easier to bear, knowing as they did that it was coming, but that didn't make the gaping hole Jo had left any less empty.

Just past them, Elena was crying softly into Stefan's shoulder, stroking Jenna's hair. Ariana clung to her other side with one arm and clutched her mother's hand with the other.

Next to the Salvatores, Jeremy was not bothering to hide his tears. Without ever living in the same state, Jo had stepped in as the mother they had lost, not just when Miranda passed away, but when Jenna was killed not even a year later, so it was unsurprising that Jeremy was as grief-stricken as Elena.

What did surprise Caroline was the slim brunette at Jeremy's side, her arms wrapped comfortingly around his waist. Jeremy visited New Orleans fairly regularly, partly to visit Alaric and partly to visit Kol and Davina, and she knew that he and Jeanette had long since hit it off.

She hadn't realised that they were at the 'accompanying each other to funerals' stage of the relationship.

As the coffin was interred, Caroline heaved a sigh, leaning against her husband as he put an arm around her.

"Alright?" He murmured.

"Been better," Caroline whispered back. "She asked me to put a note in one of those balloons; I really wish I knew why."

As though she had been heard, the balloons all burst in a domino effect that sounded more like a fireworks display.

Everyone jumped, no one more so than Kai, who made a noise so high-pitched that Lizzie couldn't help giggling.

"Like I said," Luke said, through his own laughter. "Phobia."

The envelope floated down from where the balloons had once been and Kai picked it up. "What's this?"

"Jo asked me to put it in one of the balloons," Caroline said. "Although why they burst, I couldn't tell you."

Kai opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. "That bitch."

"Kai!" Liv protested. "It's her funeral!"

"Sorry," Kai said, a smile beginning to spread across her face. "She put a time-release spell on the envelope so the balloons would burst."

"Why would she do that?" Josie asked.

"Because your mother and I had a bit of a prank war going when we were kids," Kai explained with a grin. "We never agreed on the victor." He held up the note so everyone could see the two words scrawled on it.

_I win._

Josie's lips twitched, she caught her sister's eye, and then they were both laughing, through tears, yes, but laughing all the same.

Kai embraced them both, still grinning himself. "Your mother was a always a joy, girls. Hold on to that."

"Caroline," Ric said quietly.

Caroline took his hand, squeezing gently. "Are you okay?"

"I think we will be," Ric said with a sad smile. "I want to change the name of the school."

Caroline grimaced. "Ric, we open in three weeks; we have the uniforms, and the books, and everything already monogrammed and …" she sighed. "I can make some calls. What do you want to change it to?"

"The Laughlin Academy for the Gifted," Ric said. "This is her legacy."

* * *

**AN: The sequel is called Transgressions and will be up in a week or so; I'll be uploading it under Legacies, so check those stories or follow me to get an email.**


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